Wolf's Last Cry
by Ugly Kitten
Summary: Sequel to Heal Me. Three years since end of HMIH, Bri is shoved through a time portal into the Makai by Tsuki. Kurama and the others go to rescue her with Koko's help. When they realize that Tsuki can't be killed, what will they do? KurBri, KokoHiei COMPL
1. Default Chapter

Welcome to the sequel of Heal Me, I'm Heartsick, Wolf's Last Cry! Now, this chapter is in Keiko Sawaguchi's POV. I'll tell you something here, Bri had a REALLY skewed view on this girl. Really, really skewed.

Full Summary: Three years after defeating the boys of the Vacant Lot and rediscovering some old ties, Bridget, Koko (Keiko Sawaguchi, don't call her Keiko, though), Kurama, and the gang are all eighteen. Most of them are in college. Tsuki Sawaguchi is still on the run after being charged with murder by Lord Enma's decree.

Tsuki does come back, though. To push Bri into Demon World—_thirty_ years ago, Demon World. When Youko Kurama was still with Kuronue. She has no way to get back and Kuronue's crushing on her. What's a girl to do?

Meanwhile, Kurama, Yusuke, Hiei, and Koko find a way to go back in time, too, and they're off to rescue Bri. When some romance blossoms between Hiei and Bri's once-dead half-sister, will it compromise the mission? Will everything fall apart?

And what happens when they discover that Tsuki, too, cannot die?

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, it belongs to Yoshi-something. I can't remember his name to save my life, can I?

Chapter 1: Introducing Koko Wolf

Koko

The name's Koko Wolf. You call me Keiko Sawaguchi even _once_ and you will _never_ live to see the light of day again. Yes, I am the infamous cause to the start of Bri's un-life here in Nemoi District, Japan. I was the best friend. Our mother, Tsuki, murdered me when I heard of her plans to plant Sakyo into my father's head. She made it look like some disgraceful suicide.

Of course, we all know how well that plan went. Too well, you ask me. And the woman is still at large after three years. Three _years_, and the stupid Spirit World has yet to find hide nor hair of my "beloved" mother.

"Yo, Koko, I'm going to school, can you keep an eye out for Shuichi?" Bri walked into our shared room at the Minamino residence. Even _I_ had been conned into calling Shuichi's mother Kaasan, though. I didn't live with my dad because, well, he wasn't really my dad anymore, was he?

"Sure, Neko, but you really want to trust me with your boy?" I grinned a cat's grin.

Bri knew me well. She was the one who'd shaped up my morals when my mother's had flown over the cuckoo clock. Still, it didn't hurt to play around some.

"I trust you enough to tell him to meet me at the arcade for our rematch," she grinned back. "I'll see ya, sis. Intro to Ed starts in half an hour."

"Yeah, yeah, just go ahead and leave me all alone, I'll survive."

She shoved me playfully onto the bottom bunk of our bunk bed and waved without looking back. Now, if you ever have seen Bri and me side by side, you'd be able to tell in an instant by looks alone that we were related.

We both have dark brown hair and blue eyes and we both look and act similar to cats. We are, after all, quarter cat demons. She didn't know about it until later, of course. With a mom like Tsuki, you've got to keep on your paws and slap some butts to get everything going in your brain.

We've rubbed off on each other a lot, too. She got her snippy attitude from little old me and a little of my feminine sway to the hips. Before Kurama got a hold on her, she was a little chubby round the midsection, but that has been assuaged, believe me. I get my morals from her. Tsuki didn't believe in morals. She believed in toughness, honor, and having as much fun and sex as possible. It wasn't until Bri came along that I threw the "sex" part right out the window.

I stretched out on the bunk a little before climbing back onto my feet. Unlike my poor little half sister, I was trained from the start to hone my Empathe skills and my quarter demon skills. One of those skills included a sensitivity to time rips, though lately there hadn't been very many. With only about six cat demons in our own time, myself and Bri included, there weren't many. Most of them were mistaken incomers.

So, imagine my surprise when I sensed a very deep rip of the outgoing kind. There was only one cat demon that I knew of who could make a rip that deep. And she definitely wasn't the one I'd hoped to sense.

It was my mother.

"Well, boys," I sighed to no one in particular. "Looks like we won't be catching Tsuki."

"Why not?" I jumped at the sound of the voice, hitting my head on the bunk above my head. I hissed in pain and glared at the root cause.

"Dang it, you ass! Why'd you go and scare me?"

"I'm sorry, Koko. Are you all right?" Kurama offered a hand to help me, but I slapped it away. Stupid fox. He was just like Bri. Always offering help, always offering it in the most polite way possible… Now why couldn't any other guy act like that?

"I'm fine, thank you," I said, jumping off the bed. I ignored the throbbing pain in my head. Mother would be proud. Gag. "Bri said to inform you that she has no more interest in you and wishes to break off the engagement."

Kurama chuckled. "Is that supposed to be that she went to class early today?"

I smirked. He's smart. That's why he deserves Bri. "Yup. Intro to Ed."

He sighed and sank into a chair at Bri's desk. "Why will we not be catching Tsuki?"

"She just ripped a time hole and dove outta here," I answered, jerking my thumb at the nonexistent thing behind me. "Gone. Probably going to go see who else she can go f—"

"That will be enough, thank you," Kurama rose. "Hiei asked me to give you a tortured and slow death, but I think I will let you live to see another day."

I rolled my eyes. "That dumb ass thinks he's _so_ cool 'cause he's got a Jagan eye. Poor idiot. Snowball's got it comin' to him."

Kurama laughed at my nickname for the little fire demon. I think everyone but Snowball found it rather amusing, which is why I continued calling him by it. Sometimes I even forgot that Hiei really was his name. It was Snowball as far as I was concerned.

"Oh, yeah, before I forget. She also said to meet her at the arcade. Rematch."

"Thank you, Koko. I will see you tonight, I must leave for class as well."

I sighed as soon as the closet-like door had been shut above me. I had so much homework to finish, it wasn't even funny. I glanced over at my stack of textbooks. Math, Intro to Computers, Intro to Business, Intro to Ed… Too much homework. I knew Bri would yell at me if I didn't get it done, though. Just like Tsuki would have before. Except Bri always had a better tone than Tsuki. If I ever lagged on homework when I still lived with my mom…

I'd rather not think about that.

College bites.

Koko's got a potty mouth on her, and honestly this is the first time I've had a character like her. Growing up with Tsuki wasn't fun for the little quarterling. And can ya'll tell where Bri gets it all? Huh? Of course, you didn't realize just how different Bri's interpretation of Koko was to the real deal. What do you think of this little twist?

Next chapter out soon on Wolf's Last Cry!


	2. Worries and Regrets

Me so happy! Oh, one thing before you go on, PLEASE. This story is placed in several points of view, all in first person. When you see the…Name…, that is the name of the character, okay?

I use this technique because I love it. I first learned it from William Faulkner, of all people, from his book, As I Lay Dying. If you've ever read that book, does anyone remember the chapter that reads only: My mother is a fish?

LOL

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or DDR. I do own some of the ideas expressed in this story, including the thing about cat demons.

Chapter 2: Worries and Regrets

Bri

Kurama and I walked back to the house, even though the trolley passed us by twice on the way. It was soothing, just to hear his voice. Even if he was teasing me. He'd beaten me once again at regular DDR. I just couldn't catch up with the slow songs after playing the demonized DDR machine back in the Chronodom. Still, it was nice to try. Nice to think I had a snowball's chance in hell, too.

My body was still slick with sweat from three hours of DDR. I needed a bath. I sighed, thinking about my uncle, aunt, and friend back at Meikou. I wanted to see them, but it was a school day. We all had things to do, and it seemed to me that it was always too much. Kurama's warm arms wrapped around my shoulders.

"You're worrying again," he said. I relaxed into his hold.

"Duh…What's it to you, I'm always worrying about something," I grinned up at Kurama's dancing green eyes. "Now let me go, I need a bath before you hug me."

He nuzzled my sweaty neck, placing a gentle, playful nip near my starting pulse. I tried to stop the smile that spread on my face. Tried to push him away. We reached the front door of the house.

"Shuichi," I said. I poked him in the side. I _always_ had to call him Shuichi when we were in or near his house. "Cut it out, I need a bath. I stink too much for you to hold out very long."

He pouted playfully. "But Bri…"

"But nothin', now lemme go," I shoved myself out of his arms. I contemplated for a minute about getting back into them. My heart was slowing down again. I opened the front door and headed down the stairs. "I need a bath."

"Why's that, you don't smell _that_ bad," Kurama said, sniffing at my hair. We reached the basement. "On second thought, go get one."

I turned around and punched him in the arm. I knew it didn't hurt him, but it felt nice to let go of some of the energy I still had. I wondered often how my energy got to my body, because it _does_ need blood pumping to get it going. I tried not to think about it. I entered my room and pulled out some clean clothes from my dresser.

Kurama followed.

"You're worrying again," Kurama said softly. I sighed and turned back to him, my t-shirt and jeans falling onto the dresser.

"I'm _glad_ you're not like me, Shuichi Minamino," I said. "Otherwise you'd find out some things you really didn't want to know. _Yes_, I'm still worried. Why wouldn't I be? My heart hasn't started at its normal pace in three years."

"But it does come back more often," he said. "And it will return. Botan said it would take time for you to heal. This is not a simple broken bone, Bri."

I sighed again. "I know. But it's just that…If it weren't for you and Koko, and Keiko and Botan and…everyone…I'm sure I'd be dead by now. And they're still trying to find Tsuki."

"They'll find her, Bri."

"I know. I have faith in Yusuke and Kuwa-kun. But still."

"Yes. Go take your shower, Bri, you're really starting to stink." He laughed and ducked as I swung at him again. "Are you sure you studied karate?"

"Yes, I did." I sniffed indignantly and stalked off into the bathroom. I stalked right back into the room, to his amusement, to grab my clothes.

As I bathed, I couldn't help but remember the super-sexy silver fox demon that Kurama had become when he forgot to close his eyes at the Chronodom light. In a sense, I would be getting both the _old_ Kurama and the _new_ Shuichi. Sometimes, he could transform at will into the old Kurama Youko. Often, I saw the glint of gold in his eyes, the lightening of his hair. His face would become more angular, though it really had done so in the three years I'd known him. His long red hair still twisted my heart. Even just a glance at him could set my heart pounding in my chest.

I lived for those moments.

I survived by those moments.

I sighed to myself. It had been years since my heart had grown sick. I was getting better, I had to admit. But still, I couldn't keep the nightmares away. The nightmares of Matsu and Une and Karasu tearing into my flesh, tearing at my heart. Throwing me into my own misery as thousands of others felt the same and died. I couldn't _die_. And we never found out how Karasu had come back. Even Sakyo didn't know.

Kurama was the only one who made me want to live. Kurama and Koko. My first friend, the first one who cared about me. I turned off the water and let it drip from my bare flesh. The scars of Matsu and Karasu's bombs still cris-crossed my chest. The lighter skin, healed almost instantaneously.

While others lay dead in the streets. I still felt bad that Koenma didn't have the power to bring them back. Not even the elementary school kids. My heart twisted painfully at the thought again.

My life is so confusing. I paint about it a lot. I write about it in my journal, the pain and suffering and confusion of those ordeals still haunting me. All for the one simple fact that I'd been born in the first place. That Marion Wolf had had the grits, grace, and gall to have an affair with his brother's wife.

Things are complicated for me.

I think I should be grateful that Tsuki let me live for as long as she did. She thought she'd been rid of me. Sometimes, I wished that it were true and that I'd gone on without Koko's love. Without Kurama's love.

And then I'd remember that my heart beat only because of those two people's love. I sighed and stepped out of the shower, completely air-dried from the time I'd simply stood there. I stepped into my clothes and walked out again. Kurama's arms around my shoulders told me they were shaking again.

"Let's go to the garden," he whispered. He listened carefully for Kaasan's movements upstairs, then led me through a portal he had opened himself. I sat underneath the fruiting cherry tree, beside the sleeping rosebushes. Kurama's soothing hand rubbed my shoulders softly, loosening the muscles that I hadn't realized were so tight.

"You can't help what they did to you," he whispered. His breaths tickled my hair, sending goosebumps up and down my arms. "Stop blaming yourself."

"I can't help thinking about it," I said. He stroked my hair softly, calming the raging feline instincts within me to run. I'd run from him once before like this. I had to stop running from my fears. Or they'd haunt me for the rest of my life.

He was silent for several minutes, simply holding me close to him. I could feel his warm breath dancing along my hair, beside his gentle fingers.

"I have regrets, too, Bri," Kurama said quietly. "When Kuronue and I had reached the top of the Makai underground, we set up an area around us that we guarded ferociously. If any male demon were to stumble on it, we'd kill him in an instant. But if they were female…we kept them. They were our servants. I was a heartless—"

"You're not anymore, Kurama," I said. "You're gentle and kind. I'm sure Kuronue would have done the same, had he the same chance as you did."

Kurama smiled sadly. "Yes. He would have. And you have the same chance, Bri. You have reformed your ways. You and I both need to stop thinking about the past. Start believing in the future and the here, and now."

I smiled and snuggled my head deeper into the crook between his neck and chest. I curled my fingers around his. My heart beat gently in my chest, as softly and as almost-unnoticeably as if it had started up again. I knew it would stop after a short while, but I tried to have the faith to know that one day, it wouldn't. It would start up again one day, while I was curled up in Kurama's lap, and it won't stop again.

It won't stop again.

"Kurama…" I yawned softly. "What time is it?"

"Ten till. Why?"

"I have an eight o'clock class tomorrow." He smiled and nuzzled into my hair.

"So do I." He paused for a minute. "Bri…I want to show you something."

I climbed out of his lap and waited for him to lead the way. I figured he wanted to show me one of his plants, though for what purpose, I was baffled. I resisted the urge to turn my powers up. Kurama trusted me. I wasn't going to break that trust by delving into his mind every time I was confused about him.

He led the way through the Earth plants, through the hybrid flowers. The plants were a little more dangerous as we got near the Makai plants, but Kurama knew his garden. I stuck near to him, as he'd instructed me every time we crossed into the Makai section of the garden.

At the far end of the garden, Kurama instructed me in a hushed voice to be as quiet and as slow-moving as possible. Uncertain, I nodded. We treaded over the Makai grass, so similar to normal Earth grass. The blades were straighter and it was a deeper shade of green. I waited for him to point out what he was showing me.

Finally, with a slow motion of his hand, he whispered for me to stop.

He pointed to a regular-looking rosebush, fully in bloom.

I was about to scoff and roll my eyes, but a miniscule shake of his head let me know not to. I blinked at him. He knelt at the bush and _slowly_ pulled a rose from its stem. I did notice that it had more thorns than was usual. He led the way back over into the Earth side of the garden and held the rose up for me to see.

"This is the Makai version of a rose," he said quietly. "As Youko Kurama, I used this rose as the same technique I use today."

I nodded, curious. "But why did we have to be quiet and move slowly?"

"If you make the wrong move or the wrong sound, it releases a poisonous gas from the depths of the bush," he said. "The thorns, should you prick yourself, are deadly poisonous. I can get the poison out with my manipulations, but…"

He sent a little of his energy into the rose, forming his legendary Rose Whip. I'd never seen it like this before, though. It was black and the thorns each pulsed with a reddish light. I stared at it, mesmerized. I could _feel_ the dark energy rolling off of it like poison from a pit viper's fangs.

It turned back into a rose and Kurama dropped it to the ground with a sigh. He stepped on the bloom as hard as he could, smearing the no-longer-potent juices on the Earth grass.

"I don't like to remember how many people died from the poison of that flower at my hands," he said, staring at the crumpled remains.

"Then don't remember," I said. "We'll forget. Both of us."

He smiled.

I doubted either of us would.

…

…

…

Okay…Um…I don't have much else to say to everyone, except thank you for continuing on into the sequel. Let me just say, this story is from _several_ POVs, not just Kurama and Bri's this time. They include Koko, Hiei (aka Snowball), and Youko Kurama. From here on in, Kurama refers to present-day Kurama and Youko refers to thirty-years-ago Kurama.

Suntiger: I believe the term would be Triclops, but it would take a very shrewd-minded character to come up with that. I've called Hiei such nicks as Snowball, Hn-meister, Purple-Eyed-People-Eater, and the Gothic Midget. My friends find it quite amusing, so I decided to use Snowball. Koko is actually based on one of my other characters, a girl named Darkim Dekim, the emerald Guiding. A long story, that one.

Princess Kandra: Believe me, I know the sugar-high syndrome. Mom played a prank on me this morning…locked up all the healthy food (I'm on a health trip right now) and left only the sugary stuff. It was either donuts and Mountain Dew or starve. I hate April Fool's day…

Sillylittlenothing: Bri's reaction is…interesting. I've been looking through the story and I just realized: Shuichi never actually meets Youko. Weird. My uploads will be a little more erratic because of college. I've lost part of my scholarship if I don't get my grades up this semester. I'll have to transfer a year early as is. I hate my life. Vv All I want is to teach English…is that so much to ask?

Sonya: You have no idea, cakes.

SilverDragon: Actually, Koko is a conglomerate character of a lot of people I know, and she's a bit on the weird side of things. I see a lot of myself in her and in Bri, and yet we're so different in how we react to stuff. I'd never curse, even if my life depended on it. I just now got up the nerve to actually type them. Heh. Go me, eh?

**Oh, and to the readers who got on the name board** list thingie, the numbers just basically tallied up how many times you reviewed. I wanted to know how many people followed the story for however long, and how many people reviewed, rather than how many reviews. I wanted to especially thank the people who helped make it the high quality story that it became. Thank you again, guys, you ROCK!


	3. Time for Trouble

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, I'm just a poor college student with a stupid head on too-broad shoulders….

Chapter 3: Time for Trouble

…Bri…

After my Watercolor class, I walked toward the one class that Kurama and I had in common: Mathematics. I really didn't like math. Especially after having my freshman math teacher after my blood. It didn't make a great impression on the subject. Everyone else's greatest nightmare was my past reality.

We sat together near the front of the room. Our teacher always smiled and sighed when she saw the two of us together. She said to me once that she'd never seen a more "adorable" couple. I knew she was right about Kurama, but was I so adorable too? I shook my head at the thought. Kurama toyed around with his mechanical pencil, waiting for class to start. I was doodling him. Again.

I remember having a notebook after our time in the Chronodom, one that I'd filled with sketches and doodles of Kurama. I still had it, buried under a mass of last year's papers and notebooks. I never asked then if I could draw him. I still hadn't asked him. It seemed almost natural to him now that I wouldn't.

At least, that's what I hoped.

It was only on the very rare occasion that I even raised my Dream energy enough to sense what people were feeling anymore. I hadn't ever had the occasion come to mind to raise myself enough to listen in on their thoughts. It just wasn't something I wanted to do. We sat through the boring class, taking notes.

"I'll see you at home," I said, giving Kurama a quick kiss on the cheek. "See if I can't get any farther on my Education project. Okay?"

"All right," Kurama said. He captured my lips in a chaste kiss before turning away to go to biology.

I caught a bullet train back to Nemoi. The sleepy little town was still sleepy. It hadn't changed at all in the three years I'd been there. I took the trolley at a gentle jog and rode it all the way to the little green house. The cherry tree in the front yard was fruiting, just like Kurama's on the edge of the Makai.

Kaasan was supposed to be home, so I found it rather unusual that I didn't hear her singing softly about the kitchen. She almost always had something ready for me to eat when I got back. I snorted. Like Tsuki had ever done that for me. My real mother was never a very kind person toward me, even after I met her again. Even my adoptive mom was a little weird around me. I guess because I was always cold toward her.

I decided to send her a letter. Maybe she'd see that I'd changed. A smile touched my lips as I descended the stairs. It faded away very quickly.

"Hello, Bridget. It's been a long time."

My eyes narrowed at the slight woman before me. I knew her well. Koko had been wrong about her leaving. I waited for her to say something. I didn't know what was happening until everything went black.

…

…

…

…Kurama…

"Class, today we will look at exploitation," said the soft-spoken professor. She had this thing for birds that I never could quite understand. I'd told Bri that she had better get used to bird-watching if she was going to take this class. It was a requirement to have a science course, after all.

"There are several types of exploitation," she explained. "First, let's look at the word itself. In the human realm, what does it usually mean?"

"That someone's takin' advantage of you," said one of the girls, sneaking a glance at a guy at the opposite end of the room. It was common knowledge that said boy had cheated on the girl. I sighed inwardly.

"Yes, exactly," said the teacher. "Now, in the animal world, this exploitation is very similar. There are types, as I said before. Predatory, herbivory, pathogenic, and parasitic are some examples. What do you think I mean when I say predatory exploitation?"

"That the exploited are the prey of the predators who exploit them, eat them, basically," I said, recalling from my reading before class.

"Precisely, thank you, Shuichi. Now, we'll look into some examples here."

She moved a transparency of a black bird with speckles onto the screen, with arrows pointing out a cycle between the bird and some sort of insect. The bird was a European Starling, who had a parasite called a spiny-backed isopod eggs in its stomach lining.

From its feces came the eggs. Some hatch, but others are eaten by the cannibalistic isopod adults, which therefore are eaten by starlings.

I smirked inwardly as she moved on to foxes and their diet. I'd ace this test if she used this example. Of course, I usually aced it anyway, but that was beside the point…

"Foxes usually exploit fish as their main food source. Can anyone tell me a favorite of some fox species?"

"Rainbow trout," I said, among some calls of "herrings". I was reminded of one of Bri's favorite movies, something about a grail and attempting to chop down rather large trees with herrings…

The class soon ended with a high note about ten minutes early. I smirked mentally, knowing that Bri had finally figured out that Kaasan had gone out of town. It was a slim chance, but maybe we could get some of the wedding plans done without maternal interference. Kaasan was wonderful, but sometimes she just didn't understand that Bri and I wanted a small wedding. She seemed to want to invite everyone and their second cousins twice removed…

Kaasan had been asked out of town by her boyfriend, whom she'd put off marrying for quite a while longer than I expected. I _had_ expected her to marry him four years ago, in the fall. But she hadn't done so. I wondered sometimes why that was, but I just brushed it off. I needed to get my own wedding done before worrying about Kaasan's second marriage to him. I barely knew the man.

I arrived home to find the door open, which was strange. Bri _never_ left the door open. It was just something she didn't do. With a sinking feeling, I wondered if Kaasan had decided to come back to town early. I closed the door behind me.

"Bri?" I called. "Kaasan, are you home?"

When no one answered, I blinked in alarm. Neither of them wouldn't answer me and Bri most certainly would not leave for anywhere without me. Not unless it was an emergency. I knew she didn't have any more classes today, she wouldn't have left campus if she had.

"Bri!" I called again. No answer. I peeked into the kitchen. No Bri. No Kaasan. I looked into the other upper-level rooms, including my mother's. Empty. I descended the steps to the rooms that Koko, Bri, and I slept in. Bri's bedroom door was left ajar, something that alarmed me even more.

I stepped into the room. No one was there, but I knew someone had been. I sniffed at the air, trying to summon up Youko's powerful nose. Bri had been here, but so had someone else. Someone who smelled just like Koko and Bri put together, and some foreign odors mixed in with that. I smelled cat demon more strongly than ever. I smelled something else, though, something that filled my chest with dread.

I searched the room for something, _anything_ that could tell me what had happened to my Bri. I found it in the form of a note, written hastily and with a crude hand. As soon as my eyes fell on the name, I opened a portal and raced to Koenma's office.

…

…

…

"She sent her back in time? But to where? To when?"

"I don't know, Yusuke," I sighed, trying to bring together my thoughts. "That's just what the note says."

"Well, read it, already!" Koko snapped. She turned out to be much different from the Keiko Sawaguchi that Bri had spoken so fondly of, and had insisted on coming when Keiko Yukimura told her where I was.

Koenma sighed and picked up the note once again in his tiny, toddler hands. He handed it to me, a pleading in his large brown eyes.

I read aloud.

_She's gone at last. I don't care where, I don't care when. I opened up a portal and shoved her through it. You want her back? Find me and make me tell you how to find her again. _

_Tsuki Sawaguchi_

"That's it? How do you know she went back through time and Tsuki didn't just send her to the Makai or Spirit World somewhere?" Koko asked, glaring at me.

"You don't understand the powers of a cat demon if you don't know," Hiei said coldly, stepping out of the shadows for once. "Stupid girl."

"Shut it, Snowball, I'm not in the mood for your imbecilic attitude! I _am_ quarter cat demon, if you don't recall." Koko snapped. When it came to Bri, Koko was perhaps more protective and worrisome than I was.

"It's simple," Koenma said. "Cats guard time. Being half-demon, I've no doubt her mother taught her how to open a time portal."

"That doesn't explain why you _know_ it's a time portal and not something else!" Koko shouted again.

"Baka onna," Hiei smirked.

"Shut it!" Koko snapped, but without some of her previous venom.

"That will be enough," I said. "I know it was a time portal because I know what they smell like. The Chronodom smells exactly like it. I was in it for a year, remember?"

Koko pressed her lips into a thin line, a pink blush coloring her cheeks. "Then how are we supposed to find Bri?"

"First, we've got to find Tsuki. Which will prove difficult, because she left by time portal herself soon after. She could be anywhere in the past."

Koko rolled her eyes. "Then take me home, baka. I'll find her."

"You know how?" I asked.

"Duh. I'm quarter cat myself! I _know_ my own mother's signature! I can find her."

"Then lead the way, onna," Hiei said. She turned and glared at him.

"There's no way you're coming with me, Snowball!"

His eyes narrowed substantially at her chosen nickname for him. It was a widely known fact that Hiei could not resist the charms of sweet snow, or ice cream, as it is more commonly called.

"I'm afraid we all must follow, Koko," I said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I sensed the residual spirit power that Tsuki left behind. She has found herself into the lower A class." Koko sighed and nodded.

"Fine. But if Snowball gets in my way, I'm kicking his ass back here again."

I chuckled softly. Bri had never mentioned what a sharp tongue Koko had. I wasn't too worried about Bri, just so long as she was still on Earth somewhere. She had enough strength in her to defeat a Tyrannosaur if she needed to, and human weapons were no match for her. If anything, she'd probably cause an outbreak of peace.

I just hoped that she didn't alter time.

…

…

…

Not much for me to say here… Does anyone think Koko is a little harsh on Snowball (Hiei)?

Suntiger: Time to get reorganized and back on track! Get Varia's story going!

Kuramafan: Will do!


	4. Makai

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. I do own the idea that cats guard time. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 4: Makai

…Bri…

I felt like I'd been shot in the head. My heart was obviously still not beating. I tried to take in a breath, and slowly, painfully, it came. Another and another, each breath just as painful as the last. Tsuki…My own mother had shoved me into a portal. Like I'd expected anything less? Where was I?

I felt warm breath caressing my cheeks. Very alien, foul smelling breath, at that. What had this guy _eaten_, a skunk with an umbrella-decorated glass of pure rotten eggs?

"She's dead, the wench. Probably bowled over by the energy," muttered a voice. A foot collided gently with my stomach. I let out a groan. "Or maybe not. Hey, human girl. Get the hell outta here."

Groggily, I opened my eyes and stared up into the face of a demon. I knew it was a demon because it was either a demon or an alien. And I was definitely gonna go with demon because aliens would be way too weird at the moment. He had a huge nose, red, while the rest of him was this deep blue color. It kind of blurred over when I blinked at him, but I could see him clearly after a minute or two. Two stubby horns stuck out of his head, but other than that, he looked like a fat humanoid.

"Where am I?" I managed to say.

"Youko Kurama's territory," he said. "You better go before he finds you. I'm going. See ya later, human girl."

Suddenly, he was beheaded and dead. Not even a startled cry had escaped him. All I'd seen was a flash of white, black, and red. I climbed shakily onto my knees and stared up at the weapon's owner. In his hands was the same whip that Kurama had shown me only a couple of hours ago. I stared at him, unsure. Kurama would never have killed someone without a reason. But there he was, in his past form, in a white kimono-style outfit. What was that thing called, anyway?

"You, human," he growled. "What are you doing here?"

"I dunno, and why are you talking like that, Kurama?" I asked, blinking at him. He blinked back, and then his golden eyes narrowed to slits. The black and red whip returned back into a rose and he placed it in his hair carefully. Why? He'd said only hours ago that he didn't want to remember all the people he'd killed with it. I glanced at the fallen demon, whose black blood now stained the grass.

Then I stared at the grass. It wasn't normal Earth grass, but Makai grass! Where was I, really?

"Human, how do you know my name?" he snapped. I'd never heard that tone of voice from Kurama. It frightened me. Why was he…?

"Kurama, why are you acting like this? Did Yusuke put you up to this? If he did, I'm going to—"

"Answer me, wench!" He slapped me, the sting of it no less shocking than the fact. I hit the ground, a cry flying from my lips. He _hit _me! Kurama _hit_ me! I glared up at him. My cheek stung, but not as much as my dead heart.

"Why the hell'd you—"

He scowled and lifted his arm again. I saw stars, and then, black.

…

…

…

… Youko Kurama…

I had no idea why this wench was being so openly stupid, but I had heard enough of her back-talking mouth. I pulled out my rose again and prepared to slay her. Woman or not, she wasn't worth my time. She was tiny and a human at that. It did peak my interest just a bit to know _how_ she'd ended up in the Makai and survived the energy waves.

A scent caught my nose. Cat demon. I sniffed her skin, the blood that was brilliantly beginning to tint her strange-looking clothes. She was part cat demon. Not enough to smell like one right off. Probably the daughter of a halfling and a human. I snarled, indignant that my lands had been tread upon by such vermin.

"Hey, Youko, what've you got…Ooh, another one," Kuronue grinned, a dark light in his violet eyes. "Why d'you have your rose out? It's a female!"

"She seems to think she knows me," I growled. "Deluded vermin. Quarter cat."

"Hmm…a quarter cat demon who thinks she knows who the infamous Youko Kurama is?" Kuronue laughed. "Awesome! Let's take her back to the hideout."

I stared at my bat demon friend, a scowl playing at my lips. "I don't think I'd term it in those particular words. She is three-quarters human."

"Your point? We've had some humans. They're pretty decent in bed if you treat 'em right."

"Correction," I said. "_You've_ had some humans. Fine. She's your problem now."

Kuronue shrugged and picked up the human girl in his arms. The blood in her side was beginning to staunch itself. She took deep, even breaths, as though she were merely sleeping. I scowled and followed my idiot partner back to the hideout.

We passed by the stream and the female weaklings that we had found that worked for us. Most of them were demon, but there were some half demons among them. They had all been born to human females, all of whom had died. Therefore, their fathers brought them back here, to be abominations among the elite.

The elite that I, finally, had achieved. I was, at last, considered an upper B level being. I would obtain the A level soon enough, I hoped. Kuronue was slightly weaker than I, but not by much. He was a little bit strange, for a bat demon.

For one thing, his pendant, which he never left anywhere for any amount of time. I don't know where he'd gotten it, other than he said it was a gift from a woman. Whatever woman she was, I wanted to find her and drag her back to Kuronue. If it hadn't been for that one woman, he wouldn't be so strange.

"Hey, Youko," Kuronue said, his head resting on the part human's chest. "She doesn't have a heartbeat. Did you kill her?"

"She's still breathing," I shrugged. "Didn't hit her hard enough to kill her."

Yet.

Kuronue glared at me. "Then why isn't her heart beating? Humans have a heartbeat."

"How should I know?" I shrugged, my arms crossed leisurely across my chest. "It's not my fault. She was hurt like that before I ever got to her. I only slapped her twice."

_Although_, I added silently. _If you hadn't come along, she would be dead._

Kuronue sighed as we reached the threshold of our hideout, a rosebush in the center of a burned field. No one but the two of us could enter it without permission. Almost as soon as I had pricked my finger on the venom-less rosebush, the human girl began to stir. I waited patiently for Kuronue to dive into the hole that led to our hideout before following him soon after.

"Well, we know she isn't dead," Kuronue shrugged. "But why the hell isn't her heart beating?"

I grunted in answer.

The human stared up at Kuronue, blinking her eyes at him. She looked confused. Why wouldn't she be? She was staring at a bat demon.

"That can't be right…" she said, quietly. "You should be dead."

Kuronue grinned. "I'm not dead yet, human. What's your name?"

She paused for a minute. "Neko. But you can't be alive. You've been dead for twenty years, if I'm right. You're Kuroune. Kurama's always so sad about you. I must be dreaming." She blinked slowly, her eyes roaming beyond Kuronue's face. "Where am I now?"

"Our hideout," I said. "Keep your mouth shut, wench."

Her eyes narrowed at me, fury behind them. "Who the hell are you to tell me to be quiet? I am _supposed_ to be your girlfriend! And why are you in your other form!"

Kuronue blinked at me. "You know, she's got an attitude for a delusional human."

She turned her glare on him. "I'm _not_ delusional!" She slapped at her own face. "Wake up, girl, Kurama's going to get worried about you if you keep having these bizzaro dreams about him and his dead partner!"

Kuronue set her on one of the numerous sleep pillows that were strewn about the hideout, mostly for sitting on rather than sleeping. He started to pull at her shirt. Most likely to look at her cut. She grabbed his wrists and pulled her shirt back down.

"Hands staying _off_," she growled. "Kurama territory only."

"If you still think this is a dream, you're highly mistaken, wench," I said. "I don't know who your lover is, but _I _am not he."

It was almost as if I'd physically slapped her. I felt her power, what feeble energy she had, begin to flare. Just a little. She looked up into my eyes and stared at me for the longest time. Then she looked at Kuronue.

"Okay, fine, whatever," she said. "I'm going back to sleep and when I wake up, I'd better be in _my_ Kurama's arms." She laid back on the sleep pillow and fell, to my surprise, fast asleep. Did she really think she was safe?

Kuronue looked just as shocked as I felt, though I showed nothing on my face.

"I think the deluded broad _actually_ believes that she's dreaming," he said, poking at her with one of his wings. She swatted at it, mumbling my name under her breath.

"This is going to get interesting," I sighed and sank onto another pillow.

…

…

…

The part about cats guarding time is mine, though it was inspired in part by this obscure fantasy novel I read like two years ago. Catswold Portal was its name and I can't remember the author. In the book, the Catswold, a group of people that could turn into cats, guarded a portal into an underground world where magic exists. It was an interesting idea, but the writing wasn't all that great…

SilverDragon: I actually don't know much about Monty Python. My Environmental Biology class happened to be on the day I was writing that chapter, and I played it through almost exactly the same. I _have_ seen the herring part, though, which I find endlessly amusing. Now you know when she is!

Saori: I wanted the Snowball nickname to go around because I thought it was funny. Just like "Fluffy" for Sesshomaru. I like sharing nicknames and I like "borrowing" them. I, in fact, borrowed a new nickname for Kurama for my newest story, Roadside. I will be uploading that soon, if you wish to find out what the nick is!

Suntiger: Um…I made up the part about cats guarding time. I just thought of it one day while I was playing with my cat, Cleopatra. She just seems to act like the Cleopatra of the Nile, and I decided that maybe she was the reincarnation of the real Cleopatra. I thought, oh, Cleo must guard time! And it led to this sequel…I find inspiration in the FUNKIEST places…And please update Varia's story soon!

Kuramafan: No problem, updating the next chapter on **SATURDAY**.

Hey, and if ya'll want to use the "Snowball" nick for Hiei, be my guests. I thought it was hilarious, and I wanted to share it with everybody.


	5. Dead of Night

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. Note: If this chapter is a little off, it is because I was re-reading it while chatting with chocolate, sugar, and cake-high people while in the computer lab at school.

Chapter 5: Dead of Night

Koko

I didn't care where the hell she was, but I was going to get my sister back. Stupid Snowball just _had_ to get his ass in the way. We all packed some things together and stood in the room where Neko had vanished. I sniffed at the air, which was pungent with my mother's catnip. She _always_ smelled like catnip. I think it was to keep everyone else deluded to her "beauty".

Kurama was patiently waiting for me. I had to hand it to the guy. Most fellows I knew who had their fiancé snatched from them by their soon-to-be mother-in-laws would be raving right about now. Snowball hovered near the edge of the room, his slim red eyes glaring at anything that moved.

Namely, me.

We decided to leave Kuwa-baka in the present. It was just me, Yusuke, Snowball, and Kurama. I found the residual rip my mother had made in the time stream and made an incision of my own. Unlike Bri, I'd retained several of my physical cat demon traits, including the ability to jump time. I was grateful that I'd listened to my mother's constant nagging about my "great" heritage.

Now, it was going to save my sister's life.

I stuck my head into the swirling red vortex that I'd sliced open and took a big, long drag of the air. My mother had been this way, without a doubt. I signaled to the others to follow me as I dove through the hole. Once everyone was standing in the "hall" between the time rifts, I sniffed for my mother's catnip smell again.

"This way," I said. Hiei snorted indignantly, but clammed up with a glance from Kurama.

I was grateful to the fox. He always knew how to get Snowball's trap to shut once it was open for the flies. I did have to admit, he wasn't nearly as annoying as Kuwa-baka was in that area. Yusuke was just amusing. But the Snowball always had something derogatory to say that was rarely funny, let alone enough to make me laugh.

A lot of people say that they're shocked that I know how to laugh. Bri did that for me, after so many long years of being with my catnip-sniffing mother. She made me laugh again, where only my dad had before her. I missed my dad, but I guess it's all the better that Sakyo took his place.

At least Sakyo doesn't want to release hell on us anymore. It's no secret that he likes Shizuru, though Kuwa-baka doesn't seem to get it. For some reason, everyone seems to think it _is_ some kind of big secret. I dunno. Even Bri seems to ignore it. Well, I can hardly blame her after all that happened.

I stopped short. "The smell's dissipating. Back this way."

I walked back and forth in the tiny hallway, the others following me every dang step of the way. Like little lost puppies. Finally, I found where the smell was strongest and made another incision. It opened easily. It had been torn recently, I deduced. I indicated to the others to follow me through the hole.

I had to admit, I wasn't expecting the ambush. My mother really had gone out of her way to make us welcome. A group of demons bared their teeth at me. I backed up toward the hole. They were _way_ stronger than I was. Suddenly, I wasn't at the time rip's entrance anymore, but on the ground.

I saw a flash of black, and then blood spattered as the headless corpses crashed to the ground. Hiei wiped the blood off of his sword onto the grass nonchalantly.

"Hn. Weak girl."

I scowled. "That's a fine way to—"

"Keiko!" Kurama warned me. I sighed and rolled my eyes at him.

"Don't use that name on me anymore, kitsune," I said. "I don't like that name." My mother gave me that name. I hate it. I hate it so much. I climbed to my feet, brushing the grass from my jeans.

He smiled, very small. "I'm sure you're glad that we came. We must press on."

I nodded, giving Snowball one last glare as I sniffed for my mother's scent again. Over the scent of the demons' blood, however, I couldn't find the catnip smell.

"The blood's masking her scent," I said, scowling.

"Let's step away from them, then," Kurama said. I sighed and nodded. We walked away from the bloody mess that Snowball had made. I caught the scent of catnip in the air and grinned.

"Got it again."

I led the way once more. We were in a forest. Trees covered on all sides. I could smell many other kinds of demons around, but I could also smell humans. It was a little disturbing to catch both scents mingling so easily together. The faint scent of catnip was all I had to go on.

The scent led us away from the trees and into a very small hamlet. There were humans all around, and I spotted quite a few looking at us. One look at their dress let me know that we weren't in any recent time periods. I hadn't expected this to be so. I approached what looked like a normal girl and asked her where I was and what year we were in.

"Lady, we are in the year of our emperor 23 and you are at the village Sai. What brings you here in such strange garb?"

"We are in search of a woman who has stolen from us," I answered. "She is a hanyou, very wicked and tall." I kept my speech simple and plain, since that was what the girl was using.

"I have seen two hanyou go through here, one inu and one neko. I couldn't tell their gender, Lady. They both headed for the mountain."

I smiled and thanked her. "The neko, then, did you see the path she took?"

"She bypassed the torii, but she is following that path there."

The girl pointed to a traditional temple entrance. It hummed with energy. If either Hiei or Kurama tried to go through it, they'd be fried. Probably Yusuke and me, too. We would have to bypass the torii gate as well. Torii were "programmed" to keep out demonic energy. Too bad they didn't extend much farther than the physical gate.

"Thank you," I smiled again. "Come on, guys. We'll take the same route."

The girl bowed and left us. I led the way around the torii and followed the strengthening scent of my mother's catnip. It had been so faint at the village that I hadn't been sure it was her. But now, I was positive. There was no mistaking that scent.

We found the temple just fine, but when I reached the front entrance of the place, I sighed in frustration.

"She jumped again!"

"What?" Kurama asked.

"The scent's cut off…Dang. She jumped right here."

I sought gently with my sharper-than-average nails for the opening in the fabric. It smelled fresh. We dove through into the "hall" again and I scented out the opening she'd made once again. I led the way through into the next time period and stared straight at my mother's retreating back.

Kurama was on her in a flash, his green Rose Whip anchored around her neck. She fell with a choked gasp and glared at him. Yusuke was on her with his Spirit Gun at ready and Snowball had his katana trained on her neck. She was trapped. I glared at her, what little respect I'd had for her gone now.

"Where is my sister?" I growled.

"Half sister," Tsuki growled back. The strong odor of catnip flooded my senses, but I'd long ago learned to resist their temptation. "What's wrong with you, Keiko, I raised you to be like me!"

"You _raised_ me to hate you and you kept my sister from me," I said. "Now, what did you do with Neko?"

Tsuki smirked. "She's with her lover-boy." Her eyes batted at Kurama, who tightened the whip around her neck. "With the _real _Youko Kurama. Nothing major. If the old him hasn't already killed her."

"It's your call, Koko," Kurama said, his whip shaking in his hands. "What do we do?"

I rose my energy enough to find the truth. "She's telling it right. Kill her."

I turned around and walked away. The sound of blood spattering is all that I wanted, and it is all I got.

Eeks. Koko just asked Kurama to commit murder for her. But something tells me this isn't the last we see of Tsuki! MWHAHAHAHAHA--hack, coff

Okay, I am sorry for my chocolate-induced evilness.

SilverDragon: That was the master plan all along was to get her to meet Youko. Thanks for telling me the author, it definitely escaped my head. Now just to find my head…

Kuramafan: Yup. **Cries** I have to accept it, too. I just saw the episode where it explains Yomi and Kurama together…Eek. I think I'm glad I learned about it through fanon first.

PrincessKandra: Actually, I think she's already figured it out…but I could be wrong…I kinda forgot the majority of the plot behind this…I've already moved on to two other fics…lol.

Suntiger: It's your fault! Your fault I couldn't concentrate! LOL, I'm just kidding. You guys were great to talk to. See you again soon!

Saori: Oo It's amusing? I didn't really mean for Youko to be amusing. Kuronue, yes. I figured, you know, we didn't get a very good long look at Kuronue's character, so I guess I'll have to fill in the holes.


	6. Kuronue

Disclaimer: I do not own. Please do not hunt me down and shoot me. I am just a measly English Education major in a tiny, nowhere college in Kansas.

Chapter 6: Kuronue

Bri

I'm sure I cried out in my sleep. I saw Tsuki, wrapped in Kurama's newer, Earth-based Rose Whip, Hiei's katana trained on her throat, and Yusuke pointed his powerful Spirit Gun at her heart. Koko stood there, fury in her eyes. I knew that Koko would be angry with Tsuki…

But why did she give the order for her death? Of all people, it was Kurama who'd dealt the killing blow. I didn't see it, I only heard it, watching Koko walk away. Her face was troubled as she sliced open another hole.

What was that hole? I tried to breath again, but my heart was pounding in my throat. My two loves had committed murder, for my sake. It made my heart ache all over again. I stared at the room I'd woken up in. The pillow that Kuronue had set me on was _enormous_, and he was asleep not too far from me. His wings were flapping occasionally, almost like a human snoring.

"You're finally awake, wench?" I heard the cold, cruel voice of Youko Kurama. I had raised my powers up enough to sense their most naked of thoughts. In this situation, I found it necessary.

_Now to get some answers, before Kuronue wakes up._

"Why were you on my lands?" he demanded, this thought still swirling around in his head.

_And why the hell does she believe that _I_ am her mate!_

"I haven't a clue," I shrugged. "And I don't know why you don't remember me and I don't know why you're in your past form."

He scowled at me. In his most deadly voice, he said: "Do not talk back to me, you little wench."

Inwardly, I sighed. His mind was completely devoid of any thoughts of mercy. In fact, he was truly considering just to kill me right then and there. I had nothing to fear, though. I knew that he wouldn't kill me because Kuronue had asked him not to. But, all the same, I had best watch myself.

"Fine," I said. "Answer a question of mine."

What now? 

"What year is it, in the human world?"

He scoffed aloud. "Are you certain you didn't hit your head, wench?"

"Please refrain from calling me that," I said. "And you hit me, remember? I've had worse hits, though, so don't worry about my health."

His sharp claws were at my throat in an instant. Those narrow gold eyes glared at me, but he didn't say anything. "It's 1974."

I coughed as he finally released my neck. I could feel blood trickling down from a few tiny wounds. I pushed the pain from my mind. I'd felt worse, I guess. Nothing had prepared me for his answer, though. Both the fact that he gave it to me and the fact that it didn't match the year I was supposed to be in.

"Explains a few things…" I muttered to myself.

"Like what, wench?" Youko snarled, licking the blood from his nails with a deft tongue.

"The way you're acting, the fact that Kuronue is alive, the fact that I'm here. Dang it, Tsuki…" Why'd she have to go and do this? Oh, yeah, because I was _born_!

"What does the moon have to do with anything?" Youko asked. He seemed startled, but it didn't show on his face. It was the perfect façade of calm and cool. I sighed inwardly. So that is where Kurama had gotten it. I wish I could have the playful, smiling, red-haired boy I knew so much better.

Then I realized something. I really _didn't_ know Kurama as well as I'd thought. If he was like this in his past…

"It's her name," I said. "My mother."

"A human pushed you into Makai?"

"No," I shook my head. "She's the half cat demon." I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. His eyes were trained on me. "Shouldn't we wake up Kuronue? He'll want to hear this, too."

Youko nodded, but didn't move. I rolled my eyes and turned around to the sleeping bat demon behind me. I shook him roughly, but he merely turned over. I could "hear" Youko's laughter in his mind, though I knew without looking at him that he was still as calm and cool as always. I reached deeper into his mind.

Stupid human. Doesn't even know the only way to wake up a bat demon is to tug on his wings…Kuronue usually jumps right up if you pull his left wing.

I smirked to myself, glad Youko couldn't see. He'd just given me exactly what I needed. I reached up toward Kuronue's left wing and gave a quick tug. The violet eyes shot open, followed quickly by the rest of him.

"Smart human," Kuronue grinned toothily at Youko. "You told her to wake me up, didn't you, fox?"

Youko leaned against the table in the middle of the room, his silver tail jerking around erratically. That must be one of his outer façade's failings, because I could sense right away that he was irritated that I'd figured it out.

"She did it on her own," Youko said. "She wants to tell us something."

Kuronue folded his wings against his back and looked at me with curious violet eyes. I was shocked to see a little of the "new" Kurama in this one. He seemed so innocent, almost as kind and lenient as my Kurama is. I felt my heart tug a few times at the loss before settling in my chest again.

"Are you aware of the main power of a cat demon?" I asked. It was Sakyo who had finally told me what Tsuki had probably done to escape.

"We know," Youko said shortly.

"Don't tell me you're cat enough that you can travel time?" Kuronue asked.

I smiled despite myself. "I wish it were that easy. Then I could just open up a new rip and jump right back into my own time, couldn't I?"

They waited.

"No, I don't have the power. Tsuki, my mother, did. She doesn't like me, you see, because I was going to marry a fox demon." Leave them to figure out that wasn't entirely true. "So…My guess is that she pushed me into his past to see him when he wasn't quite as…Assimilated."

Kuronue fell off the pillow, laughing.

I stared at him, hearing his obvious thoughts.

_Kurama's going to marry _her_ in the future! _

I glared at him, then at Youko, who was laughing in a way that made my blood run cold. He sounded almost like Matsu and Une.

Like Karasu.

"Kuronue, I suggest if you want to keep the little wench alive, you keep her away from me," Youko said, swishing his tail. "I am going out."

He bounded away like a real fox might and vanished into the world above.

Kuronue was still laughing. "You _sure_ you aren't deluded, kid? Look how old he is! He's well over a thousand years old!"

I smiled. "Well, in my world, he's only eighteen, just like me. But, I will not say any more. Can you take me to some cat demons? Maybe they can help me get back."

He sobered almost immediately. "I can't do that. Cats…aren't very fond of bats."

"You mean they'd eat you, right?"

He scowled. "Youko tried hurting you again, didn't he?" Kuronue gestured to my neck, which was still bleeding. "You're going to have to face the music. That Kurama is not your Kurama."

I sighed and nodded. Suddenly, a warm, wet thing pressed against my neck wound. I turned my head to see Kuronue lapping at my blood. I tried to push him away, but his hold merely tightened. I couldn't move. I tried to struggle, to thrash, but his firm hold on me only got more…interesting.

His legs were wrapped around mine, his bat wings holding my arms pinned against my sides, and his hands held my head still. I could feel the fork in his tongue, drinking in the blood. I was going to die. I tried to listen to his thoughts.

_Resist, Kuronue…You're _only_ going to stop the bleeding…Not start it up again! _

I blinked in shock as finally, he loosened his hold on my head just a little. He lifted my shirt up to look at the wound there. It was closing up a little faster than usual, but considering that I was surrounded by so many powerful sleepers…I guess it decided that it could speed-heal.

"You use a different kind of power than that of a cat demon," he said, releasing me at last. "What is it? I can sense it…"

"Dream energy," I said, touching the wounds he'd licked. They'd stopped bleeding. "I'm an Empathe. I can hear what you're thinking, if I turn myself up high enough. Don't plan on doing it, though. Not a pleasant experience."

Kuronue smirked. "I don't know about that. Sounds like a pretty useful thing. Don't tell Kurama about it."

I glanced at him. So childish… Almost like Koko and Keiko and Botan rolled into one, but with those violet eyes. Strange. I chewed on my lip. Kurama…where are you?

"Why is it that Youko didn't kill me?"

"Because he knows he'd have me on his tail forever," Kuronue grinned, revealing tiny, sharp teeth. "You can't exactly take care of yourself. It'd be like taking down a blind, deaf, and dumb child."

So, the guy had some morals. Interesting. I wondered where he'd gotten them. Youko sure didn't seem to want any.

Kuronue nudged me with one of his wings. "What's Kurama like in the future? And how come I'm dead?"

I glanced at the pendant that surrounded his neck. Red and silver, so simple. Was that the pendant that Kurama told me about? The one that Kuronue had risked his own life to retrieve when it was cut? Why? What was it about that simple pendant that Kuronue was willing to throw everything away to get it back?

"Can't say," I said. "I'd ruin everything."

"Maybe not," Kuronue pointed out. "Maybe you're _supposed_ to be here to influence this time period."

I scowled. "Yeah, and Kurama would have mentioned it if twelve years before he was… Um… In Ningenkai that he met me. I don't think he'd forget about me."

"True," Kuronue tapped his long, slender black nails against his chin. "I wonder why he chose you, though. You're not exactly the type he keeps going on about."

I blushed furiously. "Well, I'm not exactly thrilled to meet this version of him, either!"

He laughed, a deep, guttural sound. "Point well spoken."

"Thanks. Can you at least point out the way to a cat village? I've got to get back to my own time…"

"That would be unwise," he said.

"What, now you're using the big words on me? Why the hell would it be 'unwise'?"

I tried to stand up deliberately. I really did.

But I fell back onto the pillow and straight into Kuronue's lap.

Into. A. Bat. Demon's. Lap.

So warm… 

Neither of us moved, my question forgotten. My heart started back up, racing in my chest. I waited for him to do something, my breath caught in my throat. Calmly, as though this had happened many times before, he pushed me away to sit on the cushion. I still had trouble breathing.

_I have to remember, this is Kurama's mate. Even if she is from the future. Get a _grip_, you idiot!_

"A-Are you…all right?" I asked, trying to breath with at least a semblance of normalcy.

Yeah. Normalcy. I'm TWELVE FREAKIN' years before Kurama's even reborn and his stupid partner is crushing on me and I have no idea how the hell I'm supposed to get back! Yeah. Normalcy. Right.

"I'm fine," he said shortly. "Stay here. I have to attend to something. If Youko comes back, tell him I went Topside."

"A-All right," I said. The prospect of seeing the Youko of before-Shiori times was not a happy one with me. Kuronue turned wing and climbed a set of stairs. I saw a patch of sunlight and then it was shadow again.

…

…

…

I almost decided to switch this over to be a Kuro-Bri fic because I liked the dynamics between them, but…alas, something happens that cannot be reversed.

Princess Kandra: Hee, hee, I'm guilty of worse. I started on the story, then I expanded it to write the prequel and then I expanded it into a five-book series and now I'm back to just writing the story I'd settled on at first. Because I never wrote any of it. ;;

Saori: No worries about Bri and Kurama, they will be reunited…Actuually, the time in Makai doesn't last as long as I was hoping it would, mostly because I couldn't come up with reasons for Kurama and the gang not to find Tsuki. LOL. I am so stupid.

SilverDragon: Tsuki has infinite lives, unfortunately. Can you guess the only way to kill her?

Kuramafan: I dunno why, but Tsuki has suddenly became a bad-girl charrie name for me. Oo It's weird. I like the moon. I love wolves. So why the heck did I make wolves and the moon look like bad charries?

Peeka-chan: If you think about it, the real Kuronue gets like five seconds of actual airtime. The only thing we learn about him, really, is that he can't leave that pendant behind and he was a partner and good friend of Kurama's (unlike Yomi, obviously). So, I took liberty with his character. He can almost be called an OC if he wasn't an actual canon character…

Luci: Um…I thought about it, but the only scene that really came to mind was the tugging-on-the-wing one. I remembered reading that some species of bats sleep so heavily during the day, that the only way to wake them up would be to _break_ their wings. I wasn't going to go that far, though. Poor Kuronue…


	7. Aftermath of Murder

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Chapter 7: Aftermath of Murder

Kurama

The firelight crackled, casting eerie shadows about our haggard group. We had bedded down for the night. I stared into the flames. They were…consuming.

"She's with a past me." I sighed, my head on my knees. "With the real Youko Kurama."

"This is not good," Yusuke muttered. "You're, what, a thousand years old! We should've asked for specifics before…"

His voice trailed off. Everyone knew what he was talking about, though. I had killed her, on Koko's request. Koko sat off to the side, far from anyone else. I'm sure Hiei was in the branches above us, already asleep. I envied him for his ability to sleep even now. I wasn't sure when we were, but I did know that I had been here once. We were in the Forest of Fools, where mainly low-level demons dwelt.

"She could be any when, anywhere," I said. "Koko…how long does it take for memories to reflect altered pasts?"

"A day," she mumbled. "Your memories should begin to reflect whether your past self has met her in the morning."

She turned away from the fire again, glaring off into the woods.

"I just hope that it was at a time when Kuronue was around," I said, mostly to myself.

If my good friend had been there, I would be less likely to kill her. He would prevent it with all of his strength. Kuronue had valued life more than most demons. I'd never quite figured out why, precisely. Just as I never found out who the woman was who gave him his red and silver pendant. The one that had cost him his life.

Once my girlfriend met my past self, would she want to stay with me? I wasn't so sure. I had done so many things before I was reborn. I remember that Kuronue and I had an enormous fight thirty years ago. He always enjoyed the tenderness of human lovers, despite my wishes then. I chuckled softly to myself.

What would my old friend Kuronue have to say if he knew I was to marry a girl like Bri? I recalled very well what I'd always looked for in a mate during my time in the Makai. I wanted a strong mate, someone who could take care of herself. Someone with a body to rival the goddess of Venus. A gold or silver kitsune, like myself. At the same time, I wanted her completely submitted to me. To accept the fact that I…I had slept with many women before her. To accept that I would continue to do so.

The thoughts sickened me now. What had I been before love? Just a heartless man, looking for the pleasures of one night stands and all the riches in the world. I was the epiphany of evil in my own eyes now. I had no morals, save for what Kuronue had slowly taught me.

Thirty years ago, I remember, Kuronue taught me what it meant to have a lover who actually loved you. I didn't see the actual repercussions of my actions until he showed me them point-black. Who had it been that had helped me learn that lesson?

Kuronue had found a woman, I remembered that much. Saved her from me, in fact. I had held my whip out, ready to slay her. And then, he'd come and saved her. Such an old memory, I'd almost forgotten it…

Wait a minute.

That was a new memory!

"I know where Bri is."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for!" Koko jumped to her feet and grabbed a bit of dirt. I assumed she was going to put out the fire. I stopped her.

"Wait. We must rest for a while. The location is still fuzzy."

She scowled. "I don't give a rat's ass, Minamino. Tell me where my sister is!"

I sighed. "Twelve years before I was shot by the hunter. It is a _dangerous_ time. We must wait until our energy has returned fully."

Hiei's voice floated down from above. "Hn. You are weak, fool. You couldn't snap a twig, let along cut a rip in time."

"Thanks for Jagan-izing me, Snowball, I really appreciate it." Koko scowled up at the branches above. "Fine. Five hours. That should be long enough."

I nodded and curled up next to the fire on the cold, hard ground. If ever was a time I wanted Bri's power, it was now.

…

…

…

Sorry this chapter is so short…I'm sick right now…I had planned to make this one a bit longer. . Gomen ne! ILLNESS HAS STRUCK UGLY KITTEN! ;; I know, I'm weird, tell me something I don't know.

Princess Kandra: I'm glad to hear that you're not as guilty as I am…I just hope I can finish that story…Or just bury it and move on to "Blood of my Dreams"…

Sillylittlenothing: Indeed, lots of things could happen… And some of them do…I just don't wanna say what. It'd ruin da story!

SilverDragon: Nope. Guess again! Well, they don't really _kill_ her so much as…

Saori: For some reason, I really like the old Youko. I wanted to make a stark balance between him and Kuronue, hence Kuronue's strange behavior.

Kuramafan: Hee, I wasn't planning on pairing those two up at all…But Kuronue _does_ have a little crushie on Bri. I thought it'd be cute…and add drama…

Sonya: I happened to be watching a Discovery channel special on bats that night. Go figure, a lot of my ideas come from Discovery channel specials…In fact, my very first story, Orbs of Emerald, came out of watching Shark Week. O.o Am I weird or what?

Sunny: Do you have me on Author Alert? That way, you get an email saying that I updated. Of course, I can always tell you…Then again, there is the little thing that I _always_ update on Wednesdays and Saturdays, no matter what…;;


	8. Saved

Disclaimer: Don't own YYH. Do own Bri, Koko, the Wolfs, and Tsuki.

Chapter 8: Saved

…Bri…

I waited for what seemed like forever for Kuronue to return or Youko to come back and try to kill me. Let me tell you something, even if you know you can't die, the pain of death is enough to get anyone scared. I was so glad that Kurama had taught me how to turn myself down. I'm sure I'd be dead by now if I couldn't.

When Kuronue didn't return and Youko seemed to be nowhere at all, I decided to at least look at the mechanism for getting out. The stairs Kuronue had climbed were actually made of some kind of plant. I touched it slightly with my foot, in case there was some kind of alarm. Nothing.

I climbed up to the top of the leaf stairs and stood looking at the very same type of rose bush that Kurama had shown me back in my own time. Slowly, I backed away from it, knowing that if I made the wrong move, I would be dead. Kurama did _not_ take any kind of botany lightly. When he said it was dangerous, he _meant_ it.

And the fact that the thing had been grown under Youko's aid didn't help much. I knew how ruthless he was now. I knew how much I'd angered him already. I also knew from backing up that he was right behind me.

"Going somewhere?" he asked. "I should kill you for attempting to escape, wench."

I bit back a retort. Snide comments really would give me pain of death around him. I knew that now. Even Kuronue would kill me for trying to escape.

Claws dug into my arm. Blood leaked from a long, shallow gash. I turned my powers down. No need for others to feel my pain, too. Although, I had to admit, it didn't hurt half as much as the murderous look in his golden eyes. The very person that I love had turned against me. He wasn't the same, but it was him, a part of him, who wanted dearly to see me dead.

And that pain was worse than any death blow he could give.

"Get back into the hideout. Consider this your final warning," he growled. I moved slowly to go back down the leafy stairs. Apparently not fast enough, because he shoved me down them a few seconds later. I hit bottom with a cry. I landed on my bad arm, bringing forth fresh blood.

I didn't say anything more. I simply crawled back to the pillow on which Kuronue had left me. I saw a flash of sunlight. And then, I was left in the shadows once again.

…

…

…

…Kurama…

I am almost positive that Koko did not rest the entire night. She announced immediately when the five hours she'd allowed us were up. No one argued with her as we broke camp and concealed the remains of the fire. Not even Hiei, which surprised me. He usually jumped at the chance to argue with Koko. Yusuke and Hiei both were ready in a few minutes, but I found myself to be a little slower than usual.

I was remembering things that I hadn't before. Every few seconds, another memory would replace itself. I found myself throwing Bri down the stairs, unaware of who she was. No one asked about my silence, but everyone seemed to understand.

Koko opened up a portal and turned toward me.

"Where in time?"

"Twelve years prior to my rebirth," I said quietly. "In the Makai."

"Well, then, we get to kick some more demon butt," Yusuke said. "I can handle that."

"We must refrain as much as possible from killing demons," Koko said. She sounded more like Bri than herself. "We must at least attempt not to alter time. That includes you, Snowball."

I had noticed the gleam in Hiei's eyes, of course. The knowledge of being able to alter time, to kill potential high class demons before they wreak havoc on Earth. I knew the feeling. To not have to face Karasu…

But no. We mustn't. We can't. The repercussions of such actions would be, to say the least, catastrophic. Instead of destroying a strong enemy, we would most likely create an even stronger one. The butterfly effect.

Hiei merely grunted as we walked toward the future just a little more than the one in which we'd captured and killed Tsuki Sawaguchi. Koko sniffed at the tiny space. I had to admire Koko's amazing senses. Even though she was only quarter cat demon, she retained much of her power as a cat, as opposed to a human.

"I pick up Bri's scent here," she nodded. "Faint…but…" She sniffed once more. "It's strongest right here." Koko reached for the space and ripped the hole open. For a moment, we all looked through into the Makai.

The sky was covered with black and red and deep green, and the forest below, I recognized easily. It was my main base, right up until Kuronue died. I could just see the stream, where several part-demon females were working to catch rainbow trout for "me".

And at that very moment, "I" emerged from the forest.

"Stay back," I said quickly. "Do not go through yet."

It was a very strange feeling, seeing myself mutter angrily under my breath and suddenly remembering it in my head, too. Koko stared at the silver kitsune me, then back at my normal human self.

"Did you get hit with the sexy stick or something?" she asked. "I don't see what Bri sees in the human you."

Hiei smirked. "Yes, you would find the dangerous King of Thieves to be attractive, wouldn't you, _Keiko_."

Koko snarled and launched herself toward him. If there was anything that girl hated, it was being called Keiko. She put another rather large hole in the time halls. Hiei was simply too fast.

"Don't get on my bad side today, _Snowball_, I'm in heat."

"Too much information. The…um…past Kurama is gone. We should get going before he comes back." Yusuke walked past me into the portal. I sighed and followed him through. Hiei and Koko weren't far behind.

"Follow me," I said. "We'll head for one of my other hideouts."

"We can go get Bri now, why the hell leave?" Koko growled.

"I'll explain it later. For now, we must get off of these lands."

I transformed into my Youko form and led the way to another of the hideouts. I had had several of them during my years, for storage reasons, and this one was very near the main base. We were very near the stream, when another voice stopped us short.

"Master Youko Kurama, what are you doing back so soon?" A young coyote halfling, barely strong enough to survive the energy feed-off of a B-class demon, stared at me. She held a basket full of rainbow trout and wore nothing but a filthy once-white toga. Her tiny black eyes glanced over my taller shoulders at Yusuke, Koko, and Hiei.

I searched my head for her name. I knew who she was. One of the few girls in my past who had survived more than ten years of servitude toward me. I had allowed her to speak with me freely during the last two years. What was her name?

"Ayame, come with me," I said. "Bring the trout." She bowed once and obeyed by following the four of us.

I remember this hideout. Hidden behind a roaring waterfall, I had placed several plants to guard it. With a sweep of my hand, all of the seeds returned and we stepped, mostly dry, behind the waterfall and into a gaping cavern. Ayame set the trout down, fear apparent in her eyes. It was rare that my past self called a woman to him among other men. And usually, it meant something terrible for the woman.

"Ayame, relax," I said. "You are in no danger."

She did visibly relax some, but the fear was still in those tiny eyes.

"Who are your friends, Master? I have never seen the fire demon, and I do not recognize the energy signature of the other. Have you found another woman, Master?"

"Calm yourself," I said. "Koko is no slave. Nor will you be, any longer."

"M-Master?"

"I am not who you think I am, Ayame. I am still Youko Kurama, but I am from the future. And I need your help."

"Already, you're meddling, fox," Koko sighed. "I told you, we get Bri, we get out, quickly. We can't mess with the past!"

"It's all right," I said. "Youko was planning to kill her today, anyway. We only save her life."

Ayame gasped. "Master…he is going to kill me?"

"Not if I can help it," I said with a smile. "There is much I have learned in these past thirty years. Please, Ayame, allow me to introduce my friends."

"Friends?" Ayame glanced at the other three. It was extremely rare for a demon to have a friend, and even rarer for one to have multiple friends.

"Yes. This is Yusuke, Hiei, and Koko. Koko is my mate's half sister."

"Mate?" Ayame looked dazed. "You have a mate?"

"Don't look so surprised, chick," Koko grinned. "My sister has some…_interesting_ effects on people. Isn't that right, _Snowball_?"

Hiei grunted.

Ayame looked like she was debating whether or not to just kill herself than listen to the insane remarks of my group.

"I will explain in due time," I said. "But it is imperative that we enter my Rose base and retrieve my mate. Kuronue found her yesterday."

"You mean the quarter cat?" Ayame paled. "This isn't good…Master Kuronue likes her too much to just let her go."

Koko fell on the floor, laughing.

"I don't see what is so funny," I snapped. "Bri is _my_ mate."

"Jeez, calm down, Mr. Hero." Yusuke clapped me on the shoulder. "We'll get her back. I mean, it's not like your old partner is going to mate with her or anything, right?"

I scowled. "That is _precisely_ my worry. He enjoyed human company and if he likes Bri, as I fear that if Ayame is right, it is only a matter of time before she is marked."

…

…

…

Er…okay…this chapter was really weird…I introduced Ayame, the character I mentioned earlier. Plus, I also introduced the dangers of leaving Bri alone with Kuronue…I'm still sick, but not as bad as it was. Soon I will be able to breath through my nose again! ;;

Sonya: Thanks for the compliment. And inspiration does come from the weirdest places. Like my brain, for example.

Kuramafan: Yea! I actually succeeded at putting in suspense! I was never good at that sort of thing…

Princess Kandra: All mine are stuck on CDs…I haven't handwritten anything in three years…;;

Sillylittlenothing: Hiei and Koko…I'm not really sure what their relationship is anymore…;;

Peeka-chan: Memories are good. But are they really memories?

SilverDragon: It is rather simple, actually. Keep guessing!


	9. Back Again

Chapter 9: Back Again

…Bri…

My arm wouldn't stop bleeding and it was throbbing where I'd landed on the floor. If I ever saw Kurama again, I was going to make sure he realized just how much I love him. I knew that once he did, or if he did, find me, he would be even more guilt ridden. I didn't want him to be that way. He didn't want for me to be pushed through that portal.

"You tried to run away, didn't you?"

Kuronue was back. I sighed and glared at him with my best Hiei-ish glare. It didn't even faze him. I let my eyes go back to the dull, miserable one instead. Kuronue would kill me and realize that he couldn't. Then they'd probably…

I didn't want to think about it. God, just let me _die_.

"Give me your arm."

I cradled the bleeding appendage with a bleary scowl. Lightheaded, the world was a dizzy piece of art. Maybe watercolors. Kuronue reached out and took my arm, a twinge of pain coming from the muscle I'd landed on. I raised my Dream energy just enough to sense what was at the uppermost parts of his mind.

The same warm feeling that I'd felt on my neck shot into my arm. He lapped at the blood, stifling the flow as he went.

Her blood tastes so good… 

I instinctively tried to pull back, but I had no strength. His forked tongue was soothing, yet hot as an iron to my bare skin. My back shivered. Kurama, where are you?

After the bleeding stopped, he gently pressed his purple clawed fingers at my upper arm, where I'd landed. A scowl fell from his lips.

"Broken arm."

Why isn't she crying? All the other humans I've ever met would be screaming in pain from something like this. She isn't even flinching!

At that very moment, Youko came back.

Back already? He said he'd be gone a week! 

"Change of plans, Youko?" Kuronue asked. "Or do you want to hurt the quarter again?"

"I have no interest in _her_," he said. "One of the wenches is birthing. I need your help."

Bri. Bri, can you hear me! 

Kurama! _My _Kurama.

"Ku—"

No, don't respond! It's me. I'm in my past form…Listen to me. There's a back door to this hideout. Hiei is waiting for you. Go through the hallway and get going. I'll deal with Kuronue.

"Hey, Youko, you feeling all right?" Kuronue blinked at him. "None of the girls are pregnant at the moment."

Uh oh.

"Kuronue," I said. "Where did Youko go?"

"Huh? What are you, blind, he's standing right—" It seemed to dawn on the bat demon at just that moment. "You're not this time's Youko, are you?"

Kurama cocked his head at me. "You told him?"

"I didn't have a choice," I shrugged. "Besides, he's nice. Now, where did he go, Kuronue?"

_This is _really_ bizarre…_

"Tell me about it," I rolled my eyes.

A flash of surprise flickered through his eyes. "He went to the market in Grindel," Kuronue said. "For supplies. He won't be back for a week."

"Good, then we can just get out of here now," I said. "Kurama…do you think you can go back to your human form? That one is a little…um…scary."

Human? 

Kuronue chuckled quietly. "Your choice in mates is still interesting, as always, Youko."

"She's right. Things have changed in our time, Kuronue. It is…good to see you alive again," he sighed. After a moment, his hair changed to red and his eyes to his normal, wide green. He wore his usual blue jeans and t-shirt again.

Kuronue stared at him. "You weren't kidding."

Kurama smiled and sat next to me. "No. We were not."

I snuggled into my real boyfriend. Forget Youko Kurama and forget Kuronue, forget Tsuki and forget Gun Wa. I loved my Kurama.

Then someone just had to go and ruin it all.

"Sorry to bring this little reunion home on a bad note, but, oh, I'm afraid you won't be going any time soon."

I gripped Kurama's shirt tighter in my fists. Why was she here?

"Tsuki," Kurama growled. "What do you want? I killed you myself."

What?

"Oh, nothing. I just want my Keiko back to the way she was before _that_ little cretin wormed her way into my life," she glowered at me.

Kurama pulled a rose from his hair. I could only watch between his legs as Tsuki smirked at him.

Too bad he'll kill Keiko along with me! Then what will she do? 

"Kurama, no!" I whispered. "She has Koko."

A low growl left Kurama's throat, so low that I wasn't even sure I'd heard it. Tsuki pulled a limp Koko from behind her.

"Your sister?" Kuronue asked softly. I'd almost forgotten that he was there. I nodded.

"Where are the others?" Kurama's calm, cool voice was nothing compared to the screaming tide of questions coming from his head. I had to hand it to him, he knew how to keep his façade.

Tsuki's smile was his only answer. She held Koko up in front of her like a shield and opened up a portal behind her. I recognized it as the same kind that she'd pushed me through. The half cat demon backed into the portal and vanished with Koko.

"You know, the last time this happened, I was struck by a lightnin' bolt," I grumbled, trying to stop the tears. "Now we're stuck here!"

Kuronue looked at me, then at Kurama, and back again. "It seems there is more to this story that I first assumed."

"You would be correct," Kurama said quietly. "Bri, are you all right?"

"Nah, I'm frickin' hilarious," I said. "I just got through fallin' down the stairs, which you created, and bat boy here's trying his best not to kill me himself. Yeah, I'm good. Just a little bloodied up and—"

I was cut off by a kiss.

"I'm sorry, Bri," Kurama murmured. "I'm so sorry."

I sighed. "Fine, fine, I forgive you. But keep me the hell away from your past self, he's scary."

Kurama chuckled. "Yes, the old Youko built a rather unpleasant wall around him prior to my rebirth." He looked at Kuronue. There was a longing in his eyes, one I'd rarely seen before. "Hello, Kuronue."

"Hello to you, too," he said.

We fell into silence.

"I kinda let slip that he dies, Kurama," I said.

"Then we're in deeper trouble than I thought," Kurama said. "This is thirty years in the past from where we are from. You haven't even been born yet, Bri."

"You said 'others'," Kuronue said. "There were more with you aside from that girl?"

"I'm guessing you brought Hiei, at least," I said. "Who else?"

I got my answer from behind. "You know, Kurama, when you said there was a back way in, you forgot to mention just how long the frickin' tunnel was. Yo, Bri, what the hell happened to you?"

"Yusuke!" I smiled over my good shoulder. "Where's Hiei? Oh, hello, who is this?"

"Ayame. One of my past self's slaves. I freed her in exchange for her assistance in getting Hiei and Yusuke into the back tunnel. Don't worry about it too much, Youko was planning to kill her today, anyway."

"Quite cheerfully bring that up again and I'll be sure you and I can't have kids," I said, watching the poor girl's eyes light up in fear. Kuronue and Yusuke chuckled.

"I can tell now why she's your mate," Kuronue said. "A sharp tongue when she isn't scared out of her mind."

"A little birdie told me that you might have already marked her as your own," Kurama said, his gaze going slightly cool. "She is still unmarked. You should be glad."

"I think she would have blasted me with those mind powers of hers before I tried anything," Kuronue admitted. "I merely made sure the wounds that you…er…well, the past you gave her were tended."

I showed Kurama my neck and arm gashes. He used some silk from nearby to make a sling for my broken arm. "If I had known as much, I would have brought Botan along."

"And have Yusuke constantly irked to death? Even if he is part demon."

"Point taken," Kurama smiled. He hugged me close to him. I felt my heart begin to beat again in my chest. How much I missed this…

"As amusing as this little argument is, how are we going to get back?" Yusuke said, sounding just like Hiei. Speaking of the short dude, where was he?

"The only way I see it is if you find someone to teach your mate how to time rip," said Kuronue with a shrug. "That'll have to wait a while, though."

"Why is that?" I asked. "You didn't want to point out the way earlier, either."

"This is the cat's mating season," Kuronue said. "You may proclaim that you are already mated, but as you are not marked yet…" He trailed off before adding a blunt comment. "Any male cat in the immediate vicinity will sense you and rape you."

Kurama's arms tightened around me.

"So I _could_ go to the cat's village…if I was marked," I said quietly.

"I promised to wait until after we were married," Kurama said. "I plan to keep that promise, Bri."

"But isn't the mating mark really marriage in the demon sense?" I asked. He bit his lip, something rarely seen even around me. "Isn't it?"

He hesitated before giving a short, curt answer. "Yes."

"Wait a second!" Yusuke shouted. "Um…you, bat boy. How long is the cat's mating season?"

"Two months long," Kuronue answered. "My name is Kuronue."

"Okay, fine. Bri, we can wait that—"

"No, we can't," I glared at Yusuke. "Tsuki has Koko. It's going to take time as it is for me to learn how to time rip. We can't afford to wait."

"Bri…"

"We have higher priorities than a few misplaced morals, Kurama," I said. "Come on. Let's at least find someplace private. And quiet." I stood up and offered him my good arm.

"E-Excuse me," said Ayame. I'd nearly forgotten that she was there. "Master, she is hurt. I know some healing…If you will allow me?"

"Ayame, you are no longer a slave," Kurama said. "Of course you may."

I looked at the part coyote girl. She reached out a ginger hand and touched my broken arm with trembling gentleness. The dull pain that had been there was gone. I took off the silken sling and rolled and flexed the arm. Nothing. She'd healed a broken arm in a single touch.

"Now there's a useful talent," I said. "Forget the mind-reading and the time-rippin', give me good ol' fashioned healing any day."

Kurama laughed quietly. "Thank you, Ayame."

He began to lead me away.

"Wait," Kuronue placed his hand on Kurama's shoulder. "One week. Just wait one week, and Youko and I can get the time rip scrolls. We were planning to steal from the cat's castle when he got back anyway."

"But Koko," I said. "She…"

"I'm sure Tsuki won't kill her," Kurama said quietly. "And there is the little fact that Hiei is not here, as well."

"Yeah, where _is_ shortie, anyway?" Yusuke asked.

"He said something about following Mistress Koko before he left us in the tunnel," Ayame said. "I think I saw him just before that woman and Mistress Koko vanished."

I relaxed with a sigh. "Hiei's with them, then. Okay. One week. We can manage a week."

Kuronue, Kurama, and Yusuke all sighed inwardly. _Thank the gods._

I hid my smile. I was glad, myself, that I would get to wait until after Kurama and I were married to mate.

…

…

…

O.o Okay…um…yah…that chapter just kinda weirded me out. Kurama and Bri are reunited, Bri won't be raped by Kuronue, and she gets to wait (yea!) until marriage to lose her virginity.

But there are unforeseen troubles on the horizon…(EVIL LAUGHTER!) Eh…I'm going to give ya'll a two-for-one special…see my answers to last chapter's reviews in chapter ten!


	10. Rescue

I forgot this last chappie….eh, same upload, so here goes…Don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Disclaimers are the bane of my existence…

Chapter 10: Rescue

…Kurama…

Even with my old friend Kuronue to talk to, with Bri safe in my arms, and with Yusuke there to pass the time, the week dragged by slowly. Kuronue and I taught Bri to bring out her Demon energy out. It was very similar to her Dream energy, of course, but since she had never actually attempted it, it was difficult for her to transition. Luckily, unlike Dream energy, she had a bit more in supply due to her physical condition.

"Honestly, she's no stronger than any normal two-week old kitten demon, let alone a full grown cat," Kuronue said to me the day our plan would fall into action. "But you've got yourself a good mate, Kurama."

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, I agree. Bri…is an interesting person, through and through."

"You know how weird it is to be talking to a you from thirty years in the future?" he shook his head. "No telling what you've been through. What about that partling that you're with?"

"Yusuke?" I glanced at the eighteen-year-old human boy I'd been with for four years now. "We won the Dark Tournament together, him, me, Hiei, and a human named Kuwabara and the legendary Genkai."

"Whoa. Talk about cool. I guess since I'm supposedly going to die that it doesn't matter that you told me that."

"Kuronue…I…"

"Don't even try to correct the past, Youko. It's not a good idea."

I nodded and returned to my human form as a sleepy-looking Bri emerged from the room I had "assigned" her to. Ayame appeared soon afterwards, completely awake. We would be taking the coyote girl with us, since she was, after all, supposed to be dead. Yusuke pushed off the wall and followed the girls up the leafy stairs of the hideout.

"Be very quiet," I said. "The rose bush will not take kindly to noise and it will spray a deadly poison if disturbed."

"Only _you_ would have a deadly poisonous _rose bush_ at the entrance to your hideout, Kurama," Bri rolled her eyes. "Kuronue, be _glad_ you don't live in our time. He's got this thing for Earth plants, especially this one called the Ojigi from South America…"

"Please, that plant is nothing compared to the Death plant," Yusuke said. "I remember Karasu running from that Ojigi. It looked like an overgrown fly trap."

"Would you like me to unleash the Ojigi on you, Yusuke?" I asked, amused.

"No, no, shutting up."

Bri laughed quietly. I hushed them all quickly as I spread some of my own energy into the rose bush, allowing it to move quickly from the hole. We ascended into the light and I relinquished my human form for my Youko.

"Do you _have_ to look like him?" Bri asked.

"He _is_ me, however much you dislike him," I said. It troubled me that she disliked the Youko of my past so much. Perhaps she didn't know me as well as she thought.

"I know, I know, but I still like your human form better. It suits that personality of yours _way_ better than the white. Though, I could definitely get used to those cute little ears."

She reached up to touch my ears, but I stilled her hand.

"If you wish to stay _unmated_ until our wedding and make this wait worthwhile, I'd suggest not doing that," I said. A tiny smirk played on my old face. She looked shocked for a minute, then nodded.

"That sensitive, huh?" she asked.

"Yes. To touch a youko's ears means immediate marking of mates."

"And I thought my _neck_ was my sweet spot…" Bri murmured, just low enough that I could hear. Kuronue could, too, but he kept quiet about it. Good. At least I wasn't in danger of losing my mate to my late best friend any more.

Even with all the things I've experienced, that is one of the strangest statements I've ever thought. Bri was giggling beside me. I fired a thought through my head just as quickly.

You like that, huh? 

She only laughed harder, earning us both stares from our surrounding friends.

"Okay, I need you four hidden in this passage," Kuronue said. "Youko is supposed to meet me in the clearing ahead. Can I count on you to mask your scent, Youko?" A funny look came over his face at this, sending Bri into giggles again. Ayame joined her soon after, though hesitantly.

Why was Bri giggling? She rarely did so, especially since the Matsu and Une incidents. It dawned on me as I nodded to Kuronue's question. _Bri_ was in heat, too! Just like the other cat demons!

Oh, help me.

Kuronue left us and I used my youko skills to effectively conceal the four of us as mere brush. Not even my past self would be able to see through this disguise. I felt the breath catch in my throat as my past self passed almost a foot from us. He was gone in a flurry of tail and robe, but it was still strange to see myself.

"Wait a sec…" Yusuke said, straightening as I let the illusion fall. "Didn't Koko say that it should take a day at least to get your memories switched?"

"Yes," I said, staring after "myself" and Kuronue.

"Some of those 'memories' you've been getting only took an hour."

"Maybe it is the close proximity of myself to my past self."

"Uh…Kurama? Did it maybe not occur to you that maybe we really _were_ here at this time?"

I stopped short and turned to stare at Yusuke. It is a rare occurrence when Yusuke Urameshi catches something before I do. Rarer still that I do not see something so vital and so blaringly obvious.

"So that means…we _were_ here." I tried to think. This was the day, if I recalled, that I had that argument about humans with Kuronue, just as we were approaching a routine burglary. If I remembered correctly, I had been after a mirror, which allowed one to see one's own inner beauty.

But something had changed my inner beauty the second time I looked into the mirror. It was because my inner beauty had at first been my pure love of the hunt, of our normal, day-to-day riches. The second time I'd looked, it had been my love for my _deceased best friend._

"Today's the day that Kuronue dies!" I shouted. "We've got to save him!"

"Get a hold of yourself, you idiot!" Yusuke shouted right back. "If he's supposed to die, we can't do anything."

I took a shaky, calming breath. Yes. If I hadn't lost Kuronue, I would never have discovered my second inner beauty. Without losing him, I'd have no way of connecting at first with Bri. I'd have no sympathy for my mother and for other humans. I would turn into the same monster that I'd always been.

"But…" Bri looked between me and the forest path and back again. "If we allow the past Youko to _believe_ that Kuronue was dead…"

"And saved him shortly after he ran by…" I picked up on her thinking. Nothing would be affected if we simply brought Kuronue back with us. Ayame was doing it. She was supposed to be dead, as well.

"Then let's do it." Yusuke punched one fist into another. "Nothing like a good rescue to make the past a piece of bona fide cake, eh, Kurama?"

I smiled. "Yes." I glanced down at my soon-to-be mate. "But Bri and Ayame must remain here if we are to protect them."

Bri began to protest. "But Kurama—"

"But nothing. Cat demons are _infamous_ for stealing women, even partlings. You and Ayame must remain safe here, under my illusion."

Bri swallowed hard. "Fine. But don't let me catch you dead, Fox." She pressed a finger in the same pose that Yusuke took while firing his Spirit Gun. "Or I swear I'll kill you dead. Bang." She giggled softly. "I got that from Keiko."

I smiled. "No need to worry. We must make haste. The robbery is nearing completion."

I placed the illusion over Bri and Ayame. Yusuke and I raced toward the clearing, I keeping my human form. As we approached the clearing, I pulled Yusuke back and placed another illusion over us both.

The old Youko and Kuronue were already running by. I squeezed my eyes shut tight as Kuronue cried out and raced back for his pendant. My past self turned back as bamboo spears pierced the bat demon's flesh.

"No! Kuronue!" I bit back my own tongue. _Go, you idiot! Go!_ I didn't even hear Kuronue yell it to him. My old self raced away and I uncloaked Yusuke and I. The cat demons were startled, but kept on coming toward us. Yusuke grinned and fired a large shot gun at them. They incinerated instantly. I pulled the bamboo from Kuronue's flesh, glad to see that they hadn't hit any major organs or arteries.

"My pendant…" he gasped.

"I'll find it," Yusuke said. "Get him to Ayame quick, Kurama. Before he dies from lack of blood. Fox and his brainy girlfriend and their crazy schemes…" He muttered the last part as he searched among the grasses for the red pendant. Kuronue grasped the jewel to his chest as Yusuke and I dragged him toward the opening.

Ayame healed the majority of his large wounds, but hadn't the strength for much more than that. Kuronue handed over the scrolls with a cocky smirk, the same one that he'd always worn after close calls.

"Guess I can't got back with Youko ever again, right?" he asked.

"No. But you're welcome to come back with us to the future," Bri said, grinning. "Maybe we can get Kaasan to let you stay with us. I'm sure Kurama could use a roomie."

"We are like brothers," I chuckled softly.

"Brothers? We're partners. And if _anyone_ understands the meaning of the word, it's you, Youko."

I wasn't about to explain the full meaning of the demon word partner to Bri. However, since you're kindly listening, I'll let you know what it is. A partner can be anyone from a friend to a _lover_. Kuronue was only my friend and Hiei had attempted to be a lover once to me. He understood that this was not what I sought after I turned him down the first time.

Speaking of the forbidden child, where was he?

…

…

…

;; I had to do it. I just had to save Kuronue. And the whole "partners" deal, well, it's like he said. Now where oh where can our little Hiei have gone off to? I wonder…And we aren't entirely sure if Hiei really did follow them…

Princess Kandra: Really? Care to share your Kurama horde?

Sillylittlenothing: Bad things happen when you meddle with the past, cakes. Fact of time traveling.

SilverDragon: Awww…c'mon. I'm sure you'll get it eventually. We have a ways to go before I reveal it. Throw in another guess. Please?

Sonya: Well, I hope these other two chappies have cleared even more fog away and left you with sunny days again!

Saori: Mate is safely back in Kurama's arms…though Koko is another problem…and where is Hiei? We still aren't entirely sure if Hiei followed her or not…

Kuramafan: A lot of stuff I do is based on movies…Butterfly Effect didn't spawn this one, actually, but I guess it can remind you of it. I actually got this idea from a story called "Falling into Makai" and I currently cannot remember that fic's author…I will certainly read your fic. I love reading.


	11. Heat

Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue, cause I hate Mary Sue, and Bri isn't one! Eh…that made no sense…O.O

Chapter 11: Heat

…Hiei…

_Why_ I followed the idiot partling who dared to call me Snowball, I'll never know. It had been her own fault she'd been nabbed. I didn't mind staying in the Makai from thirty years before. It didn't bother me at all. What _did_ bother me was that the stupid woman who'd done it all was the root cause of it all and _somehow_ she was still alive.

The red time rip that Tsuki Sawaguchi had left was tiny. I'd barely been able to follow her, even at the speed I could go. I didn't know in what time we were or where we'd ended up. Some patch of woods somewhere. I leapt into a tree before mother or daughter could sense me. But I did know that my only way out was the stupid partling.

"Keiko, why are you fighting me?" asked the idiot.

"Oh, I dunno, maybe that you're _touching me_ and I don't like you?"

"I am your mother. I know what is best for you, Keiko."

"_Don't_ call me that."

"It's your name."

"No, it ain't. I got the name my _father_ wanted me to have. It's _Koko Wolf_. Bri is my sister and your daughter. Why the _hell_ do you want her dead?"

"Because she was a mistake. Don't make yourself into one, _Keiko_."

As amusing as this all was, I slowly unsheathed my sword. No woman was going to take out my only way out of this place. Admittedly, it was just another woman who was the way, but I'd rather deal with the Snowball than the Moon. Before either girl could react, I brought my sword down on Tsuki Sawaguchi. The woman fell in three neat, bloody slices to the forest floor.

Koko stared at me as I wiped my blade off on the grass.

"What?" I growled. "Your mouth stop working?"

"Th-Thank you, Hiei."

I straightened and sheathed my sword, trying to appear nonchalant as ever. Trying to appear as if that _wasn't_ the first time she'd ever actually used my name. Trying not to seem like I _liked_ the sound of my name coming from her mouth. I should've remembered that she could read my every thought.

Damn.

"I like you, too, Hiei."

Koko smirked as I cast my best glare at her. "Woman, if you want to live, I suggest you make a—"

My words, and my temper, flew off like one of the Fox's strange plants. The partling had kissed me! It was soft, almost unnoticeable, but she had. I couldn't deny it. I also couldn't deny that it felt pretty damn good.

I swore under my breath as those lips planted themselves back on mine and she forced me, with no resistance on my part, down onto the forest floor.

"Like I said," she grinned in all her cat-like viciousness. "Don't mess with me. I'm in cat demon heat."

(AN: OO Let's just say that they got a little busy…I'm not keen on writing hentai scenes, mostly because I've never done it before myself. Nor have I ever been kissed. Poor me, right? --;; Like I'm going to get any sympathy…)

…

…

…

…Bri…

It was honestly taking a lot of hard work not to launch myself into Kurama's arms and _beg_ him to mate with me. I _do not_ like mating season! It is _hell_. I giggled softly at every given turn—I do _not_ giggle! I'm not a happy, peppy schoolgirl like Botan! I turned my powers down so I wouldn't have to listen to the others' admittedly-funny thoughts and concentrated on the scrolls that Kuronue had retrieved for us.

It was actually a very simple procedure, requiring only the minimalist amount of Spirit energy to make the incision in space-time. The only particular difficulty that lay ahead was getting the _correct_ area of space-time that connected to our own time. That took concentration of the mind, more than concentration of the spirit.

Good thing I had plenty of that. I guess the fact that Koko and I were also Empathes helped us be able to find where we needed to go better than it did normal partling cats. I found out later that had we not had the abilities, we would not be capable of the concentration at all, really.

"Okay, guys," I said. "Leave the scrolls here, I'm sure those hormone-scathed cats can find them after they're through messing around in two months time. I've got it down pat. It's simple."

"Then let's get the hell outta here," Yusuke said.

"Let's find Koko," I nodded. "Kurama, can you pick up her scent once we're through?"

Kurama nodded and I sighed and set the remainder of the scrolls down on the forest floor. I concentrated my Spirit energy on the air in front of me and took one long slice with my stubby fingernails. A red pathway opened.

"Cool!" I grinned. "I don't even need the claws. All right, everybody in!"

Yusuke, Kuronue, Ayame, and Kurama went through the gateway and I quickly closed it off when I was through as well. Kurama transformed into his Youko form and sniffed at the air for a few minutes.

"Hiei's with her," he said. "This way."

His silver hair was easy to follow, but I think the tail was starting to bug me. I just wanted to wrap my fingers around it and stroke…It looked so soft, like his hair was the first time I'd kissed him.

…_Stop those thoughts before you get yourself in over your head! … _

Kurama stopped about halfway down the passage and pointed to a still-open slit in the time-space. I rolled my eyes. Tsuki was _horrible_ at closing her own holes up. I opened it up just wide enough that we could slip through again.

The scene we came upon was not a pretty sight. Under Hiei's long black cloak, all other garments discarded, were a sleeping Koko and Hiei. Both had shallow bite marks on their right shoulders, just above the bones that connected to the arm. Tsuki's remains were in a haphazard pile off toward a thicket of maple and oak trees. I blinked, staring at the scene.

What on earth had happened?

"I believe that Koko got the better of Hiei," Kurama said softly. He pulled out a seed and created a rather large leaf. On the leaf, he wrote with a pen that I gave him from my still-full pockets. I don't think Hiei would be very happy that we'd come across him and Koko like this.

"Come on, let's leave them," Kurama said. He placed a similar illusion over them that he'd placed over Ayame and me, which would disperse when the sleeping mates finally awoke.

Even Yusuke was silent as we climbed back through into the time stream. I closed the hole behind me. Another giggle fell from my lips as I led the way back toward our own time.

…_What the hell was up with the giggling! …_

No one seemed to notice, however, as I finally found and opened our own time period and the others poured out.

"I think I'll go and take a nice, long shower," Yusuke said. "See you, guys. Let me know how Koko takes everything when she and her 'Snowball' get back." He gave a rakish grin. I heard him chuckling all the way up the stairs and out of the house.

We'd arrived right back in my room, where Tsuki had originally pushed me through the time rip. Kuronue and Ayame immediately turned questioning eyes toward Kurama and me. They looked all around the room, at the books, at the electrical clock. I suppose if I came from thirty years in the past, I'd be curious about the advances over the years, too, especially if I wasn't even from the human world.

Kurama smiled. "Ayame, I believe some of Bri's clothing would be able to fit you. I'll call Kuwabara. He probably has something that Kuronue could fit until we can get to the mall."

"But Kurama," I said. "Kuronue has bat wings. He's got pointy ears. People are gonna notice a bat demon walking around a Tokyo strip mall."

"Bats have the ability to disperse their wings," Kurama explained. "And we can blame his ears on some birth defect." He let his silver hair and gold eyes fade away until he was once again human. Sure enough, Kuronue's wings vanished after a minute or two. Ayame, I wasn't too worried about. She was human enough that she looked human.

"Well…I guess this is going to take some getting used to…" I said. "I wonder if Genkai would let you guys stay with her? Yukina's been doing it for years and Hiei spends the night there sometimes when it gets cold or rainy."

"I'm afraid Koko's going to have to stick close to her mate from now on, Bri," Kurama said. "The bond between a fire demon and his mate is…unparalleled, save for one demon kind."

"Your kind, I take?" I asked with a grin.

"Well…I was actually referring to cat demons. Foxes are in the upper three, as well."

"Oh, so we're going to stick to each other like glue when we finally mate, right?" I grinned despite myself. I toyed with the sleeve of his t-shirt.

"In a word, yes."

"Sounds fun. Let me stop with the heat thing, and we'll see if we can't get our wedding planned a little sooner."

Kurama chuckled. I think I heard a faint bit of nervousness in his voice. "You're something else, Bri."

He left to go and call Kuwabara and I shooed Kuronue into his room. I let Ayame take a shower and get dressed in peace. She cleaned up quite well, and when Kuronue came out of the bathroom an hour later, I had to admit, he was one sexy bat demon. I wouldn't give up my Kurama for anything, though.

…

…

…

Kuronue, I like him sooooo much. I dunno why. We only see him for no more than five friggin' seconds in a movie that may or may not be part of the actual series and we see no more mention of him at all. All we have is what Kurama think of him, which, as we've seen with Bri and Koko, isn't much to base a whole character on. Maybe it's just my perception of him…

Okay, I was a day late getting the next chapter out because I left home for work (I work in a comp lab) without the disc. So! I will be putting up the next chapter (also my fav) right after this one! See you there!


	12. Affections

Bri: Why did you put this scene in, UK?

UK: Well…in all honesty it has no real bearing on the story at all.

Kurama: Then why did you put it in?

UK: CAUSE! I LOVE KURONUE TOO MUCH!

Kurama and Bri:

Kuronue: A human girl likes me? I don't know whether to be delighted or disturbed.

UK: . . . Kurama, do the disclaimer, I'm leaving before I decide to delete this scene.

Kurama: UK does not, nor will she ever (thank Inari) own Yu Yu Hakusho.

Chapter 12: Affections

…Kurama…

The crowd surged all around us, a waving sea of human bodies. The mall was busy, but we were in grave need of clothing for Ayame and my old partner. Ayame couldn't stop looking around, as if waiting for a predator to pounce. Bri reached over me and jabbed Kuronue in the side.

"Stop staring at the girls, they don't like that," she said.

"It's going to take me a while longer to get used to this," he said, laughing.

It was so good to hear his laugh again. His pendant rested over his heart, safely secured on a new silver chain. Kuronue was the same as I remembered him, but I knew he would have a lot to learn about the human world. I was glad to hear that he knew it, too.

"Why are all these people crowded in so tightly in one place?" Ayame asked, her nervous eyes darting back and forth. "Isn't it dangerous?"

"Not at all," Bri said. "We're not at war or anything, so it's safe for people to gather together en masse. After being in the Makai, I kind of see why you'd need to scatter, though."

She smiled and gave the coyote a companionable touch on the shoulder.

Bri sighed as we entered what must have been the twentieth clothing store. Even Ayame, who was very interested in these new and different clothing styles, was tired. Kuronue allowed her to lean against him.

"Let's go to the food court," Bri suggested. "Food's on me!"

Ayame cocked her head at my girlfriend. "I don't see any food on you, Bri."

Bri and I laughed. Kuronue frowned at me. "I don't see what's so funny."

"It's an expression," I said. "It means that Bri will pay for the meals."

Kuronue and Ayame blinked at us.

"C'mon," Bri grabbed Ayame's arm and dragged her away. "I'll get you something, boys!"

"Does she even know what I eat?" Kuronue asked, watching Bri tug the hesitant coyote partling away.

"Bri knows everything," I said. …_Especially_ _since she started keeping her powers up…_

Kuronue slid into a chair at the table I chose. "It's strange. You say I've been dead for thirty years and yet…here I am."

I smirked. "If it wasn't for you, I would have never found Bri."

"Oh? How is that?" Kuronue leaned over the table, studying the napkin dispensers and the miscellaneous condiments. I tried not to think about what he was asking, hoping that he would forget it. "Kurama?"

"I was able to learn love from you," I said. I glanced over Kuronue's shoulder at Bri, who was laughing with Ayame. The nervous coyote was beginning to laugh, as well. "It's strange, how short a time it took for Bri to change."

Kuronue glanced at her over his shoulder. "What do you mean? Wasn't she always like this?"

I smiled ruefully and shook my head. "She used to be very much like myself. Not a killer, but… Bri has told me that she has many regrets in life. Her friend that broke through to her was Koko. Strange…"

"How so?"

"Our lives are mostly similar, except my life is thousands of years and hers…are only eighteen. After she met Koko, Tsuki discovered their relationship and staged Koko's 'suicide'. We, from the future, somehow helped stage your demise for my sake, as well."

"I don't think it's so strange." Kuronue stared at Bri and Ayame. "You love her."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" I asked sarcastically.

"Aside from the blatant shows of affection? Just the way you look at her is enough to see it, Kurama." Kuronue pretended to wipe a tear from his violet eyes. "My baby is all grown up!"

I punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! Jeez, Kurama, look where you aim that thing!"

"I did," I said, smugly.

"Boys, stop arguing before I raise my energy," Bri said, bringing with her a large tray. Ayame held four paper glasses. "I know you're a bat, Kuronue, but try this stuff. I think you'll like it."

Kuronue stared skeptically at the Big Mac and French fries before tentatively taking a bite. He started wolfing it down almost three seconds later.

Ayame, Bri, and I laughed.

…

…Koko…

I dunno what the hell came over me. I'm mated to Hiei. _Hiei_. Snowball, the idiot who tried to kill me the first time he saw me. I am _practically married_ to him! What the hell did I _do_!

It was only a week later, and Hiei simply could not leave my side any more. He explained in low tones that he _could_ not leave me alone again. Proved it by walking away a couple of days ago. I had immediately grabbed hold of his arm again. It _hurt_ to be away from him. Well, I guess I could've done worse.

Like Kuwabara.

I shudder at the thought.

But, now that I think about it, Kuwabara and Yukina are supposed to be married sometime in June, after Bri's actually _planned _wedding and mating next week. She was working on getting final arrangements done for their wedding. Hiei and I were in her room, the room she now shared with Ayame instead of me. I had to move into Genkai's temple so I could sleep with my mate. Otherwise, I _couldn't_ sleep. How frickin' wrong is that?

"I wouldn't say that, Koko, I think it's kinda cute," Bri said. She'd changed a little in the time she'd been in the Makai. She refused to keep her powers any lower than the abilities she had to read the thoughts that people broadcasted readily. It didn't hurt her head because it was more like standing in a quiet room.

And she'd also insisted on training her Spirit energy and her Dream energy higher. She wasn't a fighter, everyone knew that. But she did want at least some semblance of self protection. For that, I couldn't blame her.

For calling Hiei and me cute though, I could.

"Refrain from using my name and his in the same sentence as the word 'cute'," I said. I was trying to be nice. She knew me well enough to know this, even without her powers. Yet she still pressed the issue.

"No, you misunderstood me," she said. "You two have liked each other for a really long time. It only made sense that you would get together eventually. I just think it's cute that you're the one who initiated it, big sister."

"I ought to slit your throat for that one, Bridget." I spoke in English, which Hiei definitely couldn't understand. It was the only way to talk to Bri and Kurama without anyone else catching what we're saying.

"You love me too much to care," Bri said. She gave a mocking flourish of a wave from under her chin as she stood up. She switched back to Japanese after a minute. "So, when do you think you and Hiei will have a human wedding? You know that Koemna will make you if you don't."

"Do I gotta paint my face white and my teeth black?" I wrinkled my nose. It was a tradition in Japan for the women to paint their face white for their wedding and to paint their teeth black after having sex. I hadn't done it before, because, well, I was supposedly already married.

"Nah. Kurama's agreed to do a splicing of our two nationalities for mine. I'm having a normal white wedding dress. And _no_, you can't have it when I'm done. You're going to get your own and plan your own wedding."

She knew me too well.

…What do you think, Hiei?... 

…_Hn_…He even did the grunt thing in his mind. …_I don't care.…_

…_You're gonna have to care. I think Shiori is going to try and take our wedding over, since Bri and Kurama wouldn't let her…_

…_Hn…_

…_I take it you don't care about that, either…_

…_No…_

…_Fine. I'll let Shiori take our wedding over…_

"You two come to some conclusion?" Bri asked, nonchalantly searching the room. "I couldn't hear that convo and I doubt I wanted to."

"Since you decided to plan your wedding on your own, we're gonna let Shiori take ours over."

Bri smiled faintly as she found what she was looking for. She held up the bouquet of roses and nodded. "I'm glad she'll get to plan someone's. Poor lady…but she knew that I didn't want a huge wedding. Only friends."

I smirked. "You got plenty of those."

She smiled again. "I sure do. Thank you, Koko."

"What the hell for?"

"For being the first."

So, hell, I guess that's it. Bri's rescued, Kuronue and Ayame are still trying to adjust to the human life, and Hiei and I are mated and to be married. Some people say that's just where the story should end, at that happy-ever-after point. I guess certain godlings don't believe in that sort of thing.

Kurama knocked on the door and poked his red head in. "There you are, Hiei. We need to go. Bri…" He chewed softly on his lip. "I don't want to leave you behind again, come on. I will explain on the way."

"What's wrong?" Bri asked.

"Yusuke has been kidnapped."

…

(AN: I was almost gonna leave you off there…but I'm not that mean. :P)

…Bri…

"It's been three whole years since your old house burned down," I said. "What do you mean, they resurfaced?" I was running to keep up with my taller-than-me boyfriend and his supposed-to-be-dead friend. Koko and Hiei were having no problem, though how that was possible, I don't know.

"Just as I said it," Kurama explained. "The same boys who claimed to have burned our old house down have somehow managed to kidnap Yusuke. They want a ransom."

"And just what is that, pray tell?" Kuronue asked.

Kurama scowled. "They want Tsuki Sawaguchi alive. They think Koenma can do it."

"Still doesn't explain how Mr. Pompous-I-Can-Kick-Your-Ass got kidnapped by a bunch of normal humans," Koko pointed out.

"That's just the thing," Kurama said. "They _are_ at least part human. We're certain of that. Botan and Kuwabara are going to meet us in the park to determine our course of action."

"Where is Ayame?" Kuronue asked.

"She and Kaasan are at the mall," Kurama said. "They'll be all right, Ayame is stronger than she seems."

"Hn. I say we grant their ransom and kill them all as soon as we have the Detective back," Hiei said. I glared at my brother-in-law.

"No way, Hiei, we're not giving in only to kill them. I'd rather take them in alive and ask questions."

We crested the hill into the park, where I could clearly see three figures waiting by a stone bench. As we approached, Kuwabara and Botan waved us over. The third figure was my own uncle, and I guess stepfather. He had settled on the name of Sakyo, the name of his spirit.

"Uncle Sakyo, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Hey, Bri, Koko. Guys. Hiei." He gave his son-in-law a hard look before letting his face spread into a warm grin. "Long time no see."

Uncle Sakyo was also my dad, Marion Wolf's, brother. I was told they were twins and that would explain a great deal why Koko and I looked so much alike. We both got our looks from our fathers. Uncle Sakyo had dark brown hair and a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. Still trying to be Toguro-like, I suppose.

"I'm afraid I wasn't entirely honest about how we got Bri into Kurama's house," he said, a sheepish blush coming over his cheeks. "Since they'd disappeared, I had decided not to say anything about the Junior Vacant Lot."

I groaned and sank onto the stone bench. "You mean to tell me those guys are little Matsus and Unes?"

"In a word, yes," he sighed. "I'm sorry, I should have said something…"

"You know something _now_, Dad," Koko said. "Why would they want Tsuki Sawaguchi alive?"

"She was the leader of the Vacant Lot after Gun Wa tried to shy away from the plot. She was also the Junior Vacant Lot's mother."

"All five of them?" Kurama started.

"Yes. Tsuki was a…very busy woman. She practiced a 'service', or so she says, to male demons who were in heat and need to be 'released' without having the downside of being mated. More often than not, she became pregnant. Marion and I were attracted to her charm as young men."

"Young is an understatement," I muttered. "You were fifteen when you had Koko!"

"And Marion was sixteen when he had you. I agree. Marion and Gun Wa weren't intelligent, but they were being hormonal teenage boys. I wish they hadn't made the mistake, but then again, I wouldn't have two almost-adult daughters to look after now."

Despite myself, I smiled. If they hadn't made the "mistakes" they had, I wouldn't be alive today. Kuronue and Ayame would still be dead. Koko would be a heartless clone of her mother. Hiei wouldn't have a mate and Kurama…

I wouldn't have Kurama.

"You know, this is just _freaking weird_," Koko said. "First, our enemy is my dad. Second, the enemy is my mom. Now, the enemies are my _half brothers_. What the hell gives?"

"I guess family values don't count for much on Tsuki's side of the family," I said with a shrug. "It's up to us to stop that pattern."

"Got that right. Crap, if I would have known about this, I would have killed her myself."

I sighed and nodded. "Well, what do we do now?"

"You stop flapping those damning lips of yours and listen to what we have to say."

I turned around and faced a thirty-some-odd year old man. He looked like Tsuki, with black hair and the same alluring eyes. Beside him was an even older looking man with silver hair. I don't think it was any coincidence that he was about fifty. Just how old was Tsuki, anyway?

Yusuke appeared, from thin air, between them. He was slumped over, unconscious. I raised my Dream energy enough to be absolutely certain of the last thing I noticed. He was completely unharmed, save for a scratch or two he probably had gotten himself from stupid fights earlier. They looked old.

It didn't make any sense. If Yusuke had put up a fight, he would be covered in scratches and scrapes, even if the "enemy" wasn't all that tough. And these guys had him unconscious.

"They're using the same technique I did on you and Kurama," Sakyo said. "Yuu, Kyu, what do you want? Tsuki is dead."

"That's where you're wrong," said the younger one. "She's alive. You can't kill her any more than you can kill that wench." He pointed at me.

"What the hell do you mean?" I growled.

"Hn. You obviously don't know the ramifications of a mating," Hiei said. "Though how she got out of it is another story."

I glanced to my right at the short fire demon who had mated my sister. What did he know that I didn't? It was Kurama who answered my silent questions.

"She is a cat demon. If you recall, Sakyo has gained much more Spirit energy than Gun Wa had. All demons pass some part of themselves to their mates. Cat demons, however, have the very unique ability to, as we say in the human world, divorce those who are not the same as they are."

"And Tsuki _never_ mated another cat demon," said the elder. "Heh. So intelligent, that woman. I'm her first born."

Sure as hell looked like it.

"We're not here for matters of bringing her back, however," said the younger.

Sakyo's eyes hardened. "Explain, Yuu. We don't understand."

"We want her dead, same as you," grinned the elder. "That fiendish feline's been haunting trails of men since she escaped from the Makai. We just told a little white lie to get ya'll down here faster. Don't worry about the Detective, he's perfectly fine."

Yuu offered a smile. "It is true. People mobilize together faster when they believe there is a danger. When an offer of alliance is all we offer, then only one person is sent."

"Why kidnap Yusuke?" Koko asked.

"He was the only one stupid enough to accept a fight with someone before thinking it through first."

Kurama glanced at me. I had my powers on a relatively high level. They weren't lying. In fact, just by looking at them, one could see they were honest. A little unorthodox, but honest.

"Honor among thieves," Kuronue said quietly. "It suggests that you are not from the human world."

"I am," Yuu said. "Kyu's not. He was born in the Makai. Half ice demon."

A loud groan alerted us all to Yusuke.

"Finally wearin' off?" Kyu asked. He shook the black-haired boy lightly and Yusuke glared blearily at him. "Sorry about that. I take ye heard it all?"

"Course," Yusuke muttered. He tested his feet, then pulled his arms back to himself. Hiei smirked at him.

"Same old thing, Yusuke," Kurama chuckled. "We should count ourselves lucky that the Junior Vacant Lot are on our side."

"It makes no difference." Everyone whirled around to face the new voice.

Tsuki was back.

…

…

…

Okay! We are getting down to the last inning stretch…er…that is a basketball analogy, right? I'm not a sports person…

I added the first scene from Kurama's POV as an afterthought. Mostly cause I liked how Kuronue ended up and I wanted a bit of light humor before everything got dark again. 

Here are my answers to your last reviews. And thank ya'll so much! You don't know how much it means to me to see "Review Alert!" in my Yahoo inbox!

Suntiger: Thank you for spawning the new scene! Meow. I rather liked it, especially considering it showed just how little Ayame and Kuronue knew of humans and the future in a comical way.

Sillylittlenothing: As you can see, it definitely became a background Koko/Hiei. O.O The funny thing is, they mated before Kurama and Bri, who've been officially together for three years… Eh heh, go Hiei! ;; I think Yusuke and Kuro would understand promises between lovers…that's why they sighed. I think Kuronue gets a basic rundown, but aside from that, he's basically in the dark. Talk about your laid-back men… As you saw, Koko's "affected"…er, quite interestingly. ;; And this chapter was meant to show what Kuronue's like in the future. Adjusting pretty well…until darkness strikes again! **evil laughter**

SilverDragon: Well, we're coming to it pretty quick here…in fact, if I remember my writing correctly, it _is_ next chapter…of course, my memory's kinda fuzzy…;;

Kuramafan06: You're the first person who's caught a whiff of something bad on the horizon, cakes! Congratulations, you know something other people haven't quite figured out yet…unless I told them… Here's two more for your reading pleasure!

Saori, Kandra, and Sonya: Kuronue's awesome. Too bad he goes bye bye again…oops, spoiler. Shutting up.


	13. Death Upon Us

Disclaimer: Everybody get on the floor, dance to the beat ya'll, this is funky fresh! Ugly Kitten doesn't own this and she doesn't own the funky boys from Yu Yu Hakusho! And I have no idea why I just did that…O.O

Chapter 13: Death Upon Us

…Kurama…

"Damn it, can't you stay dead!" Koko shouted. "Is this some cosmic joke!"

"No one with my blood will ever die," Tsuki smirked. "But since you are only part me, you get one benefit. It's called pain. I can't feel it."

I growled. How could someone like her ever have brought Bri into this world? Kuronue, Hiei, Yusuke, Kyu, Yuu, Kuwabara, Sakyo, and I surrounded the girls. Hiei and I, in particular, guarded Koko and Bri. If Tsuki were to get her hands on those two… I could only begin to consider the consequences.

"How cute," Tsuki rolled her eyes. She sighed and shook her head. "You, of all people, Gun Wa, should know that does no good."

I saw no more movement, no sign of anything more than her just standing there. But all of the sudden, I collapsed to my knees. I faintly was aware that the other men were in the same position as me. There was no pain, but it felt as if everything had floated far away from me. I lay peacefully where I'd fallen. Music, soft and inviting, played in my head, like a beautiful bird.

"Kurama…"

Her voice was distant, as if called through a thick fog from a mile away. I smiled up at Bri, her face framed in my vision by white haze. Faintly, I was aware of being shaken. It felt more like I was jumping on clouds. I heard the cries, soft and distant. I tried to reach out, to comfort her as I was being comforted by the haze. But she was not consoled.

I heard her voice in the distance. She sounded angry…sad…

The voice continued to speak. But it faded more and more as I came closer to the light. I smiled at the light, uncertain of what it meant. It was very beautiful, like a gem. I saw a pretty blue-haired girl. I knew her, recognized her. Botan. She smiled at me, but it was a sad smile. I floated up next to her, seated on her oar. When at last the light began to fade, I looked down.

At my own bloodied corpse.

…

…

…

…Bri…

_He's dead. Kurama is dead. _

The words kept rolling over and over in my mind. I refused to believe them, even as I stood before his killer and watched. How was I to kill someone twice as strong as me and had the same ability to not die as me? Koko and Botan and I were the only ones left alive, and Botan was only there because she had been behind me at the time.

The funny thing was, even though I'd felt the blast from Tsuki myself, I felt no pain. I gathered from her smirk that it was supposed to be this way. I let a tear fall for Kurama. At least he'd died quickly and painlessly.

"You will regret killing my fiancé," I growled.

"Damn you," Koko swore.

She was standing weakly next to Hiei's remains. I knew she was fading fast. She was dying, too. It had finally dawned on me why I couldn't die and Koko could. Even though she had the powers our mother had, she had her father's mortality. She would be able to hold out, for a time.

But for how long, I couldn't guess.

"I see this upsets you," Tsuki sighed, as though we were discussing something like two rational adults. Neither of us were. "My daughter, why are you so mindlessly attached to them?"

"Because they were the only ones who ever loved an abomination like me," I scowled. I used the same tone of voice. If I didn't, I think I would have broken down. "I don't think you quite get it, Tsuki. I'm going to kill you. If it's the last thing that I do."

"You can't," Tsuki smirked. "I can't die, remember?"

There must have been a time that Tsuki was vulnerable. There _must_ be. I glared down at the pieces of my broken family. My brothers, whom I'd only just met, Yuu and Kyu. My uncle, Sakyo in the body of Gun Wa Wolf, my father's brother. The man who'd saved my life from my boyfriend's past, Kuronue. Yusuke, who had already died twice. Kuwabara, attempted to die once. And sobbing Botan, who would have to take them all the Spirit World herself. She had already taken three of them. My cousin and sister, Koko Wolf, who was barely hanging onto the last thread of life.

And then my eyes began to trace my Kurama. He had lived for over a thousand years, only to be killed by his soon-to-be mother-in-law. How ironic and stupid is that. His red hair was splayed out like a fan, his green eyes dim and yet shiny and wide open. I knelt beside him, ignoring my mother.

"Kurama…I know a way," I said quietly. I ignored my mother's rants. "I know a way to kill her, Kurama. It's just…that it'll mean…"

I chewed on my lower lip. "It'll mean that I will never see you again."

I gathered him up in my arms and cradled his bleeding head to my chest. If I never saw him again, if I never heard his voice again, I wanted this only. To know that he was alive and well. To know that he was happy and that he was alive.

Even if I wasn't there to be happy by his side.

"What are you doing?" Tsuki asked. "You can't kill me. You know you can't."

I glared at her through tear-streaked eyes.

"I know how. Stay the hell out of my way."

I kissed Kurama's cold, dead lips. They tasted like Pine Sol, so unlike the honey sweetness I was used to. I nestled him next to Hiei, his best friend. Koko grasped for my hand, her breathing erratic and hurried.

"Don't do it," Koko gasped. "Don't do it, Bri. We can…"

"It's the only way," I shook my head. "Say hello to Marion for me, Koko. Don't let him have me. I don't think my heart could take it again."

She nodded once. "Love you."

"Yeah. Me, too."

I glared over my shoulder at Tsuki.

"Good bye, everyone," I said. I didn't care if they were dead. I wanted to say goodbye before whatever happened to me happened…

With one last final wave of my hand, I ripped open the time stream and dove into the red, swirling mass. I knew where I was going. It wouldn't take too long to get there. The ramifications of what I was about to do would make things very different.

Very different, indeed.

…

…

…

Okay, several things. NEXT CHAPTER IS THE LAST! Also, I have put up some fan art drawings of Bri on Media Miner Dot Org. My name there is angelindigo. I think it's called "Heal Me, I'm Heartsick's Bridget Wolf" or Bri Wolf or something like that…sure you can find it…;; Just several different "capture" shots of her, plus an additional drawing of what she would have looked like had she taken on her cat-demon form. Which never happened, but you never know…if I will revive her.

I would like to take this opportunity to also apologize for not putting this up here sooner. If you wish to know why, consult my xanga account, uglykitten. In fact, if you want to follow my life, be my guest. Not like I have anything to hide, which you will find out in my next story, As I Lay Living.

Princess Kandra: Nope, no wedding. Gomen! As you can see…um…things kinda went wrong…

Sillylittlenothing: Hate to break this to you, but I'm 19. Just turned 19 on the 29 of April, as a matter of fact. I'm not telling how Tsuki can't die, that is top-secret information that only the author knows! ;; Okay, I'm being a bit overdramatic…It has to do with her blood. The combination of cat and human somehow created this thing where, no matter how physically injured she was, you can't kill her. Kind of like the elder Toguro in some instances. She's just…weird. O.o I guess that's the best I can put it. But Bri has a plan! Bri has a plan! And it's a bad plan…cause Bri goes bye-bye…

Sonya: Sorry…Almost everything that happened…well, I'll let you read next chapter.

SilverDragon: I didn't say it outright what she's going to do…but do you get it now?

Kuramafan: Well…um…;; It's not just Kuronue…And I don't think they're going to get to go to family therapies…after all…Bri is out for blood. And her own?

Saori: Eheh, actually, I found it quite amusing myself. Even more amusing that I get to undo it, too…;;


	14. Recognition Or Lack Thereof

I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho and if someone else wants to help me make that different, please email me at 14: Recognition

…Koko…

My full name is Kokomo Bridget Wolf. I am the daughter of Gun Wa Wolf and Ayame Tsukishiro. Ayame escaped from the Makai shortly before she was to be murdered by the one and only Youko Kurama. That makes me one-eighth coyote demon. It makes little sense to tell you the story of a life that was never lived.

But I had to tell Bri's story.

My sister who was never born.

You see, my mother was never supposed to be Ayame. It was supposed to be Tsuki Sawaguchi, a half cat demon who had the innate ability to seduce any man to her whim. I am glad that she is gone. But along with her, sadly, went my sister Bri. I remembered the story, as did Gun Wa. We are Empathes. Our minds are grounded in the things that we remember, even those that are forgotten because of one single change.

In case you're not really keeping up, I'll tell you exactly what Bri did that day in the future-not-real.

After she jumped into that time rip, she went back to the time that Tsuki's father and mother were to conceive the little bitch. She allowed herself to be taken by her own grandfather instead. Funny how those things work out. Tsuki was never born because Bri allowed herself to be eaten and completely digested by a tiger demon not too long after. It must have been a painful end.

But at least Koenma always lets me visit her spirit. She went to some obscure part of Spirit World, near the Chronodom. She is allowed to continue to be in contact with me, even though I've changed notably in that time.

"Hey," I said softly. Bri smiled at me, seated next to one of those white boards that you can write anything on and get what you want.

"Hey to you, too. How's Marion doing?"

"Bri…please, can't I just…"

"No," Bri shook her head. Bits of her hair was different, replaced by several different strands. The possibilities had combined to create her.

"But you never actually stayed with your dad, Bri. Come on, you don't have to see _him_. You don't have to meet Kura—"

"That's just it, Kokomo. I don't want to take that chance."

The most stupid of all is the very knowledge that Kurama will never remember her and Hiei, my own mate, will have forgotten me. I'm a little different, myself, of course. I guess growing up with a good mother and my real father did me some good. I met Keiko Yukimura the other day. She looked at me with such an intrigued emotion in her eyes. I could sense that she was confused.

She recognized me. Barely, of course, like a severe case of déjà vu.

"Hi, I'm Koko," I said. "What's your name?"

"Keiko. I'm almost positive I've seen you before, have we met?"

"No, I'm pretty sure we haven't," I grinned. "But it's sure nice to meet you."

Meet someone that I'd known for several years, you mean.

"So did you get into a high school?" Keiko asked.

"Yeah," I grinned. "Meikou. You?"

"You're serious? Me, too! And my friend, Shuichi Minamino, he got into the school, too."

"That's cool. My dad, uncle, aunt, and godmother teach at that school."

"Wow, what a coincidence," she grinned. "I was going to go shopping for my school uniform today, that's why I'm here. You want to come with me?"

"Sure. I was doing the same, actually."

Keiko laughed. "We're just full of coincidences today!"

"Yes, we are." I smiled myself. Oh, Bri, I wish that you could be here. I wish you hadn't asked me to keep Marion away from women. I wish…I wish I had my sister here with me.

Keiko and I became very good friends in the time before school was to begin. I walked into my homeroom class to see Keiko waiting for me. This was wrong. So wrong. Bri should be the one here. She should be the one with Keiko, she should be the one to meet Kurama. She should…

But she wasn't. I couldn't change it, or I'd be dead right now.

Again.

Is it all worth it, though? Is one girl's life so wrong to keep a monster like Tsuki away from us?

"Hey, Shuichi!" Keiko called. "Over here!"

There he was. Alive. Bri would be so happy to know that he was alive. And well. He smiled at me.

"Have we met?"

"No, I'm sure we haven't," I said. "I'm Koko Wolf."

"Wolf…" The name rolled off his tongue, almost testing it. "I think I've heard it before. Are you _sure_ we've never met?"

"I'm positive," I said, smiling reassuringly.

My dad walked into the room and smiled behind the sharp sunglasses. I heard Kurama's breath intake quicken. And then, it slowed, relaxed. Keiko looked at me, then at him. No one spoke for a moment as my dad began to take roll call. I sighed and sank back into the chair.

It was going to be a long three years.

…

Keiko and "Shuichi" led the way out of the school after our last class. We still hadn't gotten our club sign-up yet, so we were free for at least a week. My parents would be staying at school until later, so I had some free time. This is so damn stupid! How the hell am I supposed to keep up this façade? Bri's boyfriend was right here in front of me, and my mate—_my mate_—wouldn't even recognize me.

If I'd had the chance, I would have murdered Tsuki over and over again, just to see her die. Forget that she couldn't feel pain. I just wanted her to _die_.

"How's it feel to be going to a school where half your teachers are related to you?" Keiko asked. "I mean, that's gotta feel pretty weird…"

"I'm used to it," I shrugged. "I guess it's okay. A little weird at times, but it's all right."

"Koko!" I turned around at my name. It was Marion, Bri's would-be father. He ran up to the three of us, panting slightly. Unlike Gun Wa, he was slightly overweight, with thin, balding hair. Even so, you could tell they were brothers. That dark brown hair and the blue eyes that I knew so well were unmistakable. I saw Bri in him. It hurt a little every time I heard him say my name. He even _sounded_ a little like her.

"What's up, Uncle?"

"Um…" he blinked at me. Uncertainly, he whispered. "I'm engaged?"

I blinked back at him. Engaged? How? To whom? I had been so careful in making sure he didn't get with anyone…Just as Bri had asked me to. Where had I gone wrong?

"Congratulations," I said, smiling in surprise. "Who's the…um…lucky lady?"

"Ichigo. I met her a few years ago. I've been kind of hiding her." He laughed softly. "Sorry…"

I blinked. So I was that stupid? "That's great, Uncle Marion. But why are you telling me this now?"

"Well…she's pregnant," Marion said breathlessly. "That means you'll have a cousin! Isn't that great?"

"Yeah…great…" I said. Bri? Was she coming back or did they get another soul? Had she agreed to it? But why? I shivered slightly.

"I've got to go tell Gina. See you later, Koko!"

"You didn't sound so enthusiastic. Aren't you happy for him?" Keiko asked.

I swallowed hard. My voice came out a squeak. I tried not to look at Kurama. "Yeah. I'm ecstatic."

"You don't sound like it," Keiko said.

"It's just…"

What could I tell her?

"Nothing. Everything's fine. I'll see you guys, I'm going to the arcade for a while."

I left Keiko and Kurama. My house was, you guessed it, in Nemoi. We had bought the house that Kurama's family hadn't because there had never been a fire. It was all so weird, and yet I just had to accept it. I caught the trolley down to the little house and, once there, I grabbed the communications mirror that Koenma had given me to contact Bri with.

"Bri?" I said, pushing buttons quickly. "Bri, are you there?"

"I'm here, Koko." She smiled into the mirror. "You heard, I take?"

"What the hell is going on!"

"I'm coming back, Koko. But, there will be some rules. You cannot allow me near Kurama. Ever. Do you understand?"

"I…I understand," I croaked. I swiped furiously at my eyes, but the tears were already falling faster than I could catch.

"Also understand that I will be a baby, Koko," she said. "But I will still be…you know what happened when you were born."

I made a face halfway between a scowl and a smirk. "Yeah, I remember."

"Good. I'll see you later, I have an unborn body to inhabit. See you in eight months!"

The screen cut off. I sighed and sat down on my bunk bed, the bed that had never contained anyone else but me. I'd always been hopeful that she would come back. I was getting my wish, but…I was already fifteen. She was yet to be _born_. I tossed the mirror to the floor and kicked off my shoes. I'd never been much for proper Japanese etiquette.

_Creeeeeak.._

I sat up quickly, only to find myself on my back again.

"Snowball!" I shouted before I could stop myself.

He grunted, glaring down at me with all three eyes. Where was his bandana?

"You thought I would forget you, didn't you."

It wasn't a question.

"Well, duh, everyone else did!" I said. "Get off."

"No."

"Off! Snowball, I swear I'll—"

He cut me off with a kiss.

…

…

…

We're at the end of Wolf's Last Cry at last. Some things I'd like to take care of…

I decided to rewrite this chapter after reading reactions from last chapter (O.O). I was mortified by them, actually. I didn't know you guys liked Bri so much…;; Now, the reason this chapter works. I believe that all souls are actually held in the "afterlife" for being born and they are not in the "bodies" that they are contained within at first. Time changes are often made by cat demons (or so my theory goes) and often Koemna must deal with the ramifications of these changes.

My version of Empathes are anomalies, in that anything that they see changed remains with them, even through time. So, Koko would remember. Also, the reason Hiei remembers Koko when no one else does…It has to do with mating. I believe that, in mating, the mates take on the attributes of the mates. ;; So, Koko would slowly get Hiei's speed and capabilities and Hiei would get Koko's Empathe skills.

I completely rewrote that scene with Marion so that Bri would come back…BUT! I am willing to write another sequel, if and only if, I receive ten reviews demanding it. I'm not very inclined to do so, since I've already really moved on from this story…But I can deal with it if you guys really want it. I'm not asking much. Just ten people? I've seen people ask for more…

Just a recap on that: TEN PEOPLE SEQUEL! Hey, that kinda rhymes…Also, if you want a sequel, please tell me if you want it primarily Koko-Hiei or Kurama-Bri again, in which Kurama would probably almost literally be robbing the cradle…O.o

I would like to thank all of my reviewers, though I'm not going to list you all again…that took a while last time…;;; I love you all, and I'd like to in particular thank the people who have become my online Yahoo! Messenger chat buddies. If you would also like to join in on chatting with us (or just me You'll eventually meet the others, too.), my yahoo is nekooneesan. That's neko (underscore) oneesan. For some reason, this site likes to delete those kind of things…

You guys are awesome! If I write a sequel, you just might make a dream of mine come true. I've always dreamed of 100 reviews…

Kuramafan: Aw, don't be sad! Stories do have to end. But I can always write a sequel. And you can always come back and read "As I Lay Living" when I start putting that up.

Sillylittlenothing: Wouldn't want your brain to go kaput. That would be bad. How did you enjoy the ending? It's funny, no one really guessed exactly how Tsuki would be stopped. You can't kill her, I kept saying that over and over again…

Peeka-chan: Well, not kill her. Can't kill her. ;; So, mate with the cat demon that caught her mother. Sounds nice…O.O

SilverDragon: Yup. Well, sort of. Not kill her, cause you can't kill her. I've seen Butterfly Effect, of course, and I know the implications of it. However, I don't think this story was much inspired by it. Actually, it was this one story called "Falling into Makai" here on Second…judgement…day? O.O Sunny, you gotta lay off the sweet snow.

Princess Kandra: Well, if you want a sequel, you must ask.

Saori: Meanie? I have never been called a meanie before…O.o I feel loved. Well…they did die…sort of…but now they're back…Well, sort of. Bri's not quite back yet, and she's going to be a baby…I'm weird, I know. o.O


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